BENNY “THE JET” RODRIGUEZ- COURAGEOUS and KIND! MY KIND OF LEADER!
This has to be one of the best movies of all time…period! The boys and I had this series on VCR and then DVD and unfortunately now I think those are scratched beyond repair. (NO AMOUNT OF TOOTHPASTE to undo the scratches- Scratches mean a DVD was LOVED A LOT ALONG THE WAY!)
What’s not to love? Right? The movie meets all of my requirements:
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Hysterical with a touch of drama
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Diverse characters who don’t take themselves too seriously
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Leadership lessons galore hidden in the plot
He stared down The Beast. HE STARED DOWN THE BEAST. He could’ve died. The rest of the team begged him not to hop the fence. They called it a suicide mission, and it really was, and even if it actually wasn’t, it was to them, and that’s all that matters. They begged him and they begged him. No matter. Greatness can’t be begged into being ordinary any easier than you can beg the sun not to go down. It had to happen. And so it did. Benny will never die.
Before I go into a few lessons for us to pick up and use on our journey today, let’s just say that BEFORE THERE WAS COURAGE and a team that had this level of support for their leader, there was a lot of KINDNESS SHOWN!
Benny Rodriguez befriended Scottie and gave him his old glove, his old hat, some advice, and an invitation to play at the sandlot with all of the neighborhood guys. What could have been a miserable summer for the new and slightly awkward Scottie, became more than likely one of his top memories.
With such a simple message really, what can we take away TODAY that MATTERS:
Some cool leadership lessons:
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BE KIND– Really, go out of your way to be kind- Benny took the time to welcome the new kid- to make him feel a part of the team. Who can you do this for today? I am 100 percent sure that each of us can step out of our “zone” and be kind. As a result, you will become a better leader and if you do it often enough, you will likely become appreciated and respected as Benny was. BE KIND.
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DO THE EXTRAORDINARY– Benny and the SANDLOT team PUT IN THE HOURS-day after day- They took their “motley crew” and built a team that pushed each other and cared for each other. Their team was diverse with all skill levels welcome and appreciated, I might add. DO THE EXTRAORDINARY BY PUTTING IN THE TIME NEEDED FACE TO FACE TO BUILD YOUR TEAM. LEARN THEIR SKILLSETS, GIFTS, OFFERINGS, and MAXIMIZE THOSE!
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HAVE COURAGE– Follow Benny’s lead- Show UP and STARE DOWN THE BEAST. With or without your team watching, take the tough decisions HEAD ON! YOU CAN DO IT!