Workplace success isn’t a spectator sport

by Dan Oswald

The great Jackie Robinson, who in 1947 broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier, once said, “Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life.” Robinson certainly wasn’t content to be just a spectator, and neither should we. Wouldn’t you much rather be playing than watching?

So as we begin 2015, we need to determine the places where we have been content just to be a spectator. Let’s face it—sometimes it’s a lot safer on the sidelines. You know that’s true if you watched any of the NFL playoff games over the weekend. Ask Aaron Rodgers what it feels like to be hit by a 300-pound defensive lineman. Hey Aaron, don’t you think it would be safer to be over there on the sidelines where they can’t get you?

Safer, but not nearly as satisfying. I’m certain that if given the choice, Rodgers would choose being in the game over being a spectator. He’s a competitor, and competitors want to be tested. They want to see if they have what it takes to succeed. Can they come out on top?

So I ask you again—where have you been content to be a spectator?

We don’t always get to choose when we get put in the game. We don’t always get the opportunity we’re looking for. We might get passed up for the big project or cherry assignment. We might not get that promotion we’re looking for. But Aaron Rodgers wasn’t handed his opportunity, either. For those of you familiar with professional football, you might recall that Rodgers toiled in the shadow of future Hall of Famer Brett Favre for years before getting his chance.

What does that teach us about getting in the game? Well, I’d say it says something about hard work and preparation. Rodgers didn’t sit back and accept being just a spectator. He practiced every day. He learned the system. He increased his skills and knowledge. And when his time came, he was ready. Are you doing everything you can to prepare for your opportunity so you’re ready when it presents itself?

It’s often said in sports that coaches love a player who wants the ball in the biggest moments—who demands to have it. That’s the person who isn’t content to be a spectator. A couple of weeks ago, with the division championship and a playoff bye on the line, Aaron Rodgers left the game with an injury in the first half. He was taken into the locker room to be examined by the team’s doctor. And he returned in the second half to lead his team to victory. He wanted to be in the game. He wasn’t content to watch from the sidelines as his team’s fate was being decided.

Why would anyone be content to be a spectator in areas where they should be competing? There are always those who don’t want the responsibility. They worry more about what might go wrong than what they can do to make things go right. They shrink from the big moments because they’re afraid to fail. And that fear keeps them on the sidelines as a spectator.

You need to get in the game. You need to determine where your talents can be of the most use to your organization and do all the preparation necessary to succeed. Then you need to demand to be put in the game so you can contribute to the team’s success. And if the situation is right and you’re the best person for the job, then you need to demand the ball. Ask for the responsibility and deliver the results because it’s a lot more fun to be in the middle of the action than to be a spectator.

You don’t want to have regrets. You don’t want life to pass you by. You need to get in the game. Not all of us can be a world-class athlete. In fact, very few of us can. But we all have the opportunity to contribute at work. You need to figure out where you can do the most good and then get in the game. It’s the only way you can make a contribution to the team’s success—and it’s incredibly satisfying. So don’t be content to be a spectator. Make 2015 the year you get in the game.