I CARE! Do You?

It seems like everywhere I go I hear people say, “I don’t care!” This may be the most misused statement in the history of mankind. In almost every case, when I’ve heard someone say “I don’t care,” the truth has been they really do care. In fact, they have cared so much that they can’t stand it and therefore, they have chosen to express an “I don’t care” message. My experience is telling me that so many people really care so much that they become victims of those who will play on their caring nature and twist their caring hearts to their own advantage.

Most of us truly want the best in this world, but for whatever reason, we seek the best in different ways. Then we have some people who believe the only way they can achieve the best is by influencing others to take the dream away from others. The number of dream stealers has been increasing. Too many people have stopped caring about others and are only concerned about themselves. They tell others they care but actions speak louder than words. If I really only care about me and mine, it will show through my actions. If I truly care about others, those who live outside my world’s parameters, that too will show through my actions.

How do we see how much anyone cares? All you have to do is watch and listen. Don’t watch them when they know everyone is watching or listen when they know everyone is listening. True character is revealed when no one is watching or listening. The real message of how much someone cares happens when no one knows the act of caring happened.

I was told a story by a minor league club house manager in the New York Yankees farm system. After the major league team had won the World Series, the Yankees decided to share the success way down the line and even the minor league club house managers received a World Series Ring. During the season following that World Series Championship, my brother Mark was visiting each of the minor league teams and always talked to club house managers. When he chatted with this particular Club House Manager, Mark was told that someone had stolen his ring. Mark told him let me see what I can do, but if it doesn’t turn up, I will personally pay for you to get a new one. Further, Mark told him to keep this a secret, just between you and me, OK.

After Mark had passed away, this club house manager shared this story with me. He thought it would help others see how much Mark cared about people, not just the big names but everyone in the organization. If you are not sure what a minor league club house manager does, consider this job posting for one of those positions: General duties include: cleaning of the home clubhouse, weight room, trainer’s area, manager and coaches offices and conference room; preparing the dugouts for batting practice; providing pre- and post-game meals for the players and coaching staff; collecting of all dirty laundry and distribution of clean laundry to the players and coaching staff; and maintaining the inventory of bats, baseballs and team issued equipment.

It could be very easy for the Senior VP of Baseball Operations to simply ignore a person in that position but Mark knew that for the entire system to work, every person needed to do their job well. And that if he only cared about those people who could do something for him, the entire system could fall apart. He could never create a system that would be better than the least powerful and least influential person in the system. Every person needed to know that their life really mattered. This is Legacy Leadership at its best!