The phrase ‘Lead, follow or get out of the way’ is inconclusively attributed to Thomas Paine and many others. It appealed to me and resulted in many activity sets in my training programs. However, the third part was understood by me as different from the obvious meaning to ‘keep out of the way’.
Consider the analogy of a football team. The player with the ball is the ‘lead’ of the moment. The remaining players are meant to ‘follow’. So who would be ‘Get out of the way’? Referee? No! Coach? No! Audience? No!
Then, who? It is the players on the bench!!!
The reserve players are not playing. They are neither leading nor following. But they have to be ready to play! They have to be fully aligned to the flow of the game and be in position, to use it, if called to join play. All though not in the playing team, their focus and zeal cannot be lesser than the ones on the playing field.
It is said that teams in sports are as good as their bench strength. A high premium is placed on players who are ‘ready to play’. It is no mean task to have the tolerance to ‘actively’ wait as well as cheer on the players who are playing on the field. They display the right team spirit of supporting, observing and being ready to play!
So often, so many of us yearn for the main role (lead) or the supporting one (follow). However teams are empowered by the ones who are ‘ready to play’… by the ones who are not weighed done by the ‘waiting’… by those who ‘stay out of the way’ but stay close to the playing arena… with preparedness to play… and play to win!
The ones on the bench show the way
To ‘actively’ wait and be ready to play!
~ Pravin Sabnis
Consider the analogy of a football team. The player with the ball is the ‘lead’ of the moment. The remaining players are meant to ‘follow’. So who would be ‘Get out of the way’? Referee? No! Coach? No! Audience? No!
Then, who? It is the players on the bench!!!
The reserve players are not playing. They are neither leading nor following. But they have to be ready to play! They have to be fully aligned to the flow of the game and be in position, to use it, if called to join play. All though not in the playing team, their focus and zeal cannot be lesser than the ones on the playing field.
It is said that teams in sports are as good as their bench strength. A high premium is placed on players who are ‘ready to play’. It is no mean task to have the tolerance to ‘actively’ wait as well as cheer on the players who are playing on the field. They display the right team spirit of supporting, observing and being ready to play!
So often, so many of us yearn for the main role (lead) or the supporting one (follow). However teams are empowered by the ones who are ‘ready to play’… by the ones who are not weighed done by the ‘waiting’… by those who ‘stay out of the way’ but stay close to the playing arena… with preparedness to play… and play to win!
The ones on the bench show the way
To ‘actively’ wait and be ready to play!
~ Pravin Sabnis
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