Like A Flame To A Moth

Maybe it was my mild contrarian streak, but I decided to give my allegiance to Duke. My dad had specifically picked a house that had a good spot for a basketball goal then built a suitable and sturdy one in the driveway. I spent many hours after school practicing my shots. Of course I had the layups dialed in but also became pretty good at free throws. I drew up tournament brackets and played out the games. I mostly operated alone, but occasionally the kid from down the street, who was a year older and vastly wiser, would be my competition.

I became a dedicated Duke fan, trying my best to stay up past my bed time in hopes of watching them defeat Louisville in the 1986 NCAA championship game.¹ I wrote a fan letter to Johnny Dawkins, who was Duke’s all-time leading scorer at the time.

In due time, I worked up the courage to try and get into the daily pickup game held at reccess. I was immediately shut down for being “too short.” I didn’t try to appeal the decision. Though my dad insisted I continue to play basketball on a team after school, I lost interest in basketball that day.²

I’m not a Rudy Ruettiger. You’re unlikely to ever hear me give a motivational speech about chasing your dreams, no matter what the obstacles. It’s just not me. If others don’t see me as a fit for something, well, I’m usually inclined to agree with them.

All that may be okay. Within the Zenger Folkman leadership development framework, the premise is to help you become better in the areas in which you already have natural strengths. You aren’t encouraged to spend your time getting to a level of mediocrity in something for which you don’t show an affinity. That has little impact. What has more impact is taking you further down the path you are already traveling. Unless there is a serious deficiency that needs to be addressed, mastery in an area as a goal is superior to basic competence in another.

I’ll never be a stellar basketball player. Thank God I have been given some gifts, though. The plan is to primarily continue to work on those things instead of chasing dreams that will never meet the light of day.

1. I seem to recall falling asleep and Duke did not, in fact, prevail. ↩︎
2. I don’t remember having possession of the ball much that season and I certainly never scored. ↩︎