Legendary Hall of Fame baseball manager Earl Weaver (photo left) once said, "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." As the highly successful manager of the Baltimore Orioles, Weaver took many different types of teams to many American League Championships and to several World Series titles.
He led different teams, that at various times featured great Hall of Fame players like outfielder Frank Robinson, third baseman Brooks Robinson, first baseman Eddie Murray, shortstop Cal Ripken Jr, and pitcher Jim Palmer. He also managed many lesser players during his long career. In almost every case, and with almost any style of team, Earl was successful in getting the most out his rosters.
Earl Weaver never stopped learning new ideas or experimenting with new techniques. If anyone could be said to know all there was was to know about baseball, it would be Earl Weaver. His committment to excellence and to lifelong learning is a prime example of leadership in action. Most business owners, managers, and CEOs would do well to take some managerial batting practice under the tutoring of the master.
Earl Weaver (photo left)
In a recent Blog Business Success Radio interview that I conducted with author, management consultant, and baseball authority Jeff Angus of Management By Baseball, Jeff had some interesting thoughts on the fiery, scrappy, and constantly learning Earl Weaver. Jeff considered Weaver to be superior in managerial skills to virtually every Fortune 500 CEO. In fact, Jeff believed that the very best Fortune 500 CEOs would only be on an even par with Earl Weaver in ability, developing a successful process, and achieving unmatched results.
Okay, you say to yourself as you read the praise for a retired baseball manager of whom you may not even be familiar. You are probably thinking to yourself, it's either time to click to another blog, or read some baseball history. A third option would be to consider a lesson in lifelong learning courtesy of someone at the very pinnacle of his profession like Earl Weaver.
The first question to ask yourself, and one that requires an honest answer, is "Do you think you know everything about your business, career, or your family?" Very likely, the entirely true to yourself response is a resounding "No!". Once that point has been established, you are ready for more lifelong learning.
Many times during our business day, we believe mistakenly that we have all of the answers to our company's varied and wide ranging problems. Of course, that is not the case in the real world, but you might be surprised at the resistance you will encounter if you attempt to make changes to the status quo. Many people are happy with the way things are at the moment, even if the current state of affairs is a disaster that's only getting worse by the day. Some people are uncomfortable with change, and they are content to know what they know, and nothing more. For the benefit of your business or your career, let's hope that you are not one of those people.
To enhance lifelong learning within your business, the first place to start is examine how things are being done now. Take careful notes of all aspects of the business, or at the very least, those within your area of control. Take a page from Earl Weaver who kept a famous box of index cards that recorded as many possible events as could happen in a baseball game. Good records are a must as they provide a wealth of learning and teaching potential.
Try to picture the ideal situation for your business, and compare it to the present one. You will notice the difference immediately, and recognize that perhaps you might indeed not know it all just yet. Create as many possible solutions to the problem as you can think of at the moment and write them down. More ideas will occur to you as you write. We often think through our writing hands. Put the paper aside and sleep on it. Ideas will come to you when you aren't forcing them.
Read management books for new ways of conducting business. Along with those managerial tomes, mix in classic novels, famous poetry, and books on topics seemingly unrelated to your industry entirely. The application of concepts from other fields gives you a powerful jump on your competition who still think in terms of your industry only. Your lifelong learning approach places you several steps ahead of other business leaders in your industry.
Be sure to learn from Earl Weaver that there is no end to learning new ideas and putting fresh concepts in place. Developing a creative and an always curious frame of mind will enhance any business owner or manager's reputation and bottom line.
Lifelong learning is fun, helps people succeed in your organization, and is profitable.
Now that's a World Series of Business Champion for sure!
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