26 years ago, I was playing for a nationally ranked baseball team

26 years ago, I was playing for a nationally ranked baseball team.

I was a high school senior.

We were favored to win the state championship.

Despite our talent, our responsibilities didn’t end when the game or practice was over.

No matter the outcome, our coach required us to tend to the field.

Pick up trash.

Rake the infield.

Water it.

Mow the grass.

At times, this felt frustrating.

We thought, “We just gave our all, and now we have to do manual labor?”

“We’re a top team; why must we do this?”

But our coach had a vision.

This wasn’t just about maintaining the field.

It was about building character, staying grounded, and understanding humility.

These tasks taught us that success comes from hard work and dedication, not just talent.

We built stronger bonds as a team, working together to maintain the field.

Our well-maintained field gave us a sense of pride.

Ultimately, we won the state championship that year.

But more importantly, we learned valuable life lessons.

As business leaders, we can apply this same mentality.

Most people in your firm aren’t directly involved in bringing in new business.

Involving them will open their eyes to the effort it takes to secure clients.

It will result in a greater appreciation for your clients.

RFPs and pitching require collaboration from various departments.

Involving new team members in this process develops unity and teamwork.

When your team works on biz dev, they become more than just client service providers.

Team members will feel a greater sense of pride in the company and its growth.

I encourage you to consider what “maintaining the field” means for your firm.

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.