Like any kid who grew up in rural Ohio any time in the last 50 years, I played little league baseball. I never had a knack for it. I played in the outfield often and could not throw far. So, when I fielded the ball, I would run the ball in from deep in the grass until I reached the sand and only then throw it to my teammates, as if I could outrun the base runners. Looking back, I’m amazed anyone put up with me playing on the team, since I clearly couldn’t field and had little success in the batter’s box either.

Our coach worked with us on two things: the fundamentals of baseball, such as hitting, catching, fielding, and throwing, and good sportsmanship.

As the saying goes, “it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game”. That was a good mentality to take with me on the team.

As agile coaches, this mentality applies doubly to us. We have many eyes on us. We set the example for how teams should cooperate, collaborate, and function together. It matters less if we are successful or “right”, as long as we deomnstrate the value and behaviors that we coach our teams on. We are all human and we will make mistakes. Our mistakes should be the exception, and not the rule. We should strive to habitually embody that which we stand for.

Returning to our sports analogy, what kind of sportsmanship would you expect to see from a team that is coached by someone who yelled at every mistake, threw their hat when the other team scored, who argued with the umpire when they disagreed with a call, or berated the team when they lost? These players might become decent ball players, but would they be people you would want on your team? (No thanks, I’ll pass.)

Are the actions and behaviors you have at odds with the Agile values and principles? If so, consider where your team currently struggles with in Agile. As the team is in some way a reflection of you, they will likely struggle in the same area as you, because you have not shown them how to be successful with it yet.

While not every player or team member we coach will become a star, they still need to operate well within the team. But, they may one day become a coach in their own right. And if you demonstrated the right values for them, they’ll likely carry it forward for the next generation, teaching others the right way to play the game.