The Message of LeadershipSample

A HOME RUN

"Our ambition should be to rule ourselves, the true kingdom for each one of us; and true progress is to know more, and be more, and to do more."
-Oscar Wilde

What is your greatest ambition? A close friend of mine has suffered all his life from the frustration of unrealized dreams. Oh, there is nothing wrong with healthy discontent but we cannot
always live in the world of our aspirations; sometimes we must live in the world of our present circumstances. Has your ambition gotten you down? Are you angry with God for the realities you face from day to day? Do you need a way out of your failure and disappointment?

Merlyn Mantle once allowed me to visit her home and showed me the personal trophy case of her husband, all-time baseball great, Mickey Mantle. As a young boy I was mesmerized by his contest with Roger Maris to break the home-run record set by Babe Ruth.

I was breathless as I took in the amazing souvenirs of this baseball icon. I asked Mrs. Mantle which of all her husband’s trophies was his most prized. I thought it would be one of his many batting trophies; but to my surprise it was the MVP award given by his New York Yankee teammates. This was because it was given by those whom he most wished to serve—the members of his own team. For “the Mic” it
was not what he thought of himself or what strangers thought of him but what his own teammates believed about him that mattered most. Now that’s a sure way to hit home runs!

Essential Insight 25: Always do your best, knowing that God will lift you up and never let you fail.