Editor's Focus: Little Dogs Doing Big Things

Growing up, I was part of one of the best youth baseball teams in Ohio (largely despite my efforts and not because of them). Year after year, we won tournaments, conquered opponents and competed for the state championship. But the truth of the matter is that our victories were rarely the result of superior talent. We were a group of good baseball players, but we certainly weren’t great. Plus, we were basically a group of smaller boys, commonly competing against larger players.

Our coach throughout those years often sent us on to the field with that quote you see above ringing in our ears. And, to his credit, we played harder and worked more than any of our rivals ever considered doing, and that was usually the difference between winning and losing for us.

As I’ve grown older and put away the spikes and glove, I’ve remembered those words and come to appreciate how applicable they are on the broader fields of business and life as well. Coach Kunkel’s focus was baseball and nothing but baseball, but he showed us that the same passion and commitment the small dog takes into a fight can help overcome numerous obstacles or limitations in any pursuit.

In early June, I witnessed the fruits of such motivation and dedication when the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA) honored John Allin as he completed six years as the organization’s president and the primary driving force behind its formation.

SIMA was born when Allin invited eight individuals to join him for two days of discussion about how they could professionalize the snow removal industry. Six years later, SIMA has more than 1,000 members, offers a formal certification program, produces an annual conference and tradeshow, and continues to professionalize the snow industry.

That’s what passion can do, whether it’s for a youth baseball team, a not-for-profit association or your business. Obviously, passion alone will never equate to success. It must be embraced by intelligent, capable people who infect those around them with that same energy and create a team-wide commitment to strive for the highest level of achievement. This focus and drive, added to a foundation built on solid core competencies, is a formula any business owner hopes to conjure up in his or her own company. Because when that all comes together, the mountains that need to be climbed become smaller and the path to success becomes clearer.

I hope you have this attitude and you believe that regardless of the challenge or the competition, you can be the victor if you put in the necessary time and you possess the right energy. I see too many people, groups and businesses that will never realize their true potential because they are filled with self doubt and willing to accept mediocrity when confronted by formidable challenges. They lack the willingness to fight.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Looking around the landscape industry, there are literally tens of thousands of companies like my old baseball team – smaller than many others, perhaps even less talented than some, but driven to succeed.
Unfortunately, my team never did win that elusive state championship, but we came close many times, and we competed well every time. That was truly a testimony to our commitment. If you can achieve the same sort of long-term success in your business, you’ll be a winner.

The author is Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at bwest@lawnandlandscape.com.