Don’t Undervalue the Art of the Unsung Hero

I was the guy at the end of the bench. Thus, my athletic contributions were limited to practices, PlayStation and dreams.

However, that didn’t dissuade me from contributing to the team.

Call me a cheerleader, call me the unsung hero – but a team is made up of many parts and positivity can be the sixth man, the motivator, the pinch hitter or whatever you want to call it.

In business, the unsung hero is positivity and all of those who push it – in sports and in the workplace.

Just like sports, in the workplace, not everyone is created equally. There are superstars, the middle and the bottom. Within the bottom, those who are positive can still contribute morale and support. In the middle, those who are positive have a shot at turning into superstars. On the reverse side, superstars who are not positive can crush the culture. But a positive culture can create a win.

Chances are, unsung heroes exist in your workplace. They are the ones that when someone talks smack, they listen to the problem and present solutions – and don’t get stuck in the negative pull. They are the ones who put in the extra effort, not just first in/last to go, but true effort. They are the ones who dream – who dream about moving their way up the business and don’t rely on laziness or excuses, just continue to work at their craft.

The unsung heroes are essential to culture and to business success. You need them. You need enough great people who have the brand’s back. Those people are not just the numbers they contribute – culture is bigger than numbers.

For any of you who followed the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series run, they had it. They had it in David Ross. He batted .176 and .229 with the Cubs in the two seasons he played with them (clearly not superstar stats), yet contributed so much more. In fact, the Cubs found themselves searching for the next David Ross the following two years without him on the team.

In your business, find an opportunity to champion around these folks. Let them know that you see them. While they may not be the superstar performer, they are the balance. They are much more valuable than two hits for every 10 at-bats.