As we near the end of another year, the big challenge for us as leaders is to finish strong. If you are looking at your feet, you may see your Red Sox; but if you look to the sky, you may soar like a Cardinal. Let me explain.
On September 3rd of this year, the American League Boston Red Sox were cruising toward a strong finish, with a playoff berth virtually guaranteed. They had a 9 game lead over the closest contender for a playoff spot. But the season was not over. Somehow, they managed to lose 16 of their next 21 games and finish 1 game out of the playoffs. This historic collapse cost the manager his job and has caused ripples throughout the organization.
Meanwhile, over in the National League, September began very differently for the St Louis Cardinals. With few games left to be played, they trailed the final playoff spot by 8½ games. This team, however, went on to win 23 of their final 32 games to squeak into the postseason. The rest is history, as time and again they beat the odds with miraculous comebacks, leading up to October 21st when they raised the World Series trophy to top off their amazing finish.
How will you finish 2011? Are you ready to cruise to the end; maybe put your feet up and relax? Be careful, you may find yourself looking at your Red Sox. But if you have the heart of a strong finisher, you may be able to emulate the high flying Cardinals and close out 2011 with an amazing finish. Zig Ziglar once said that “a big shot is just a little shot that kept shooting”. Be a big shot as you close out your year.