We Call it Signature!
“It’s easy! Get the ball through the zone. Avoid the bat! But some guys make it beautiful!”
— Rollie Fingers, Baseball Hall of Fame
So, this guy throws his leg way up high in the sky. As it comes back down, he transfers the momentum and muscle tension to his core, then the waist turns, then the opposite arm uncurls down through the shoulder, elbow, wrist and the finger tips release a leather wrapped projectile… Strike!
And nobody does it quite the same way. Because it’s part of one’s style. It’s unique. It’s personal. And it makes baseball one of those things that can be appreciated just for that visual spectacle alone. “Pitching!”
Some Major-League Pitchers are abandoning the ritual and just “shrugging” the ball over the plate these days, hoping to avoid all those complex histrionics and the injuries that may come along as freight. And yet, even minus the leg thing, the sport and its fascinating evolution continue.
Consider another example… John Kennedy used to put both hands in his suit-jacket pockets and stretch the garment comfortably out of shape. That was a fashion faux pas and a great No! No! It was something else as well: inimitable! It was as unique as the man himself. That’s just the sort of thing that qualifies as Signature!
Rather than punish people for “looking like themselves,” we suggest that we learn to appreciate the difference between looking awkward, uncomfortable or unschooled, and looking genuine — as only you can.
Historically, when people studied elocution or presentation skills, they were backed into a model of “cultural acceptability” and forced to move, stand, gesture and speak in ways the teacher found “normal and safe.” The “rough edges” were polished away and what was left was a representative product of the system that looked and acted “acceptably.” But few of those people were prize winners; they leaned toward “low risk of offense,” but also “no danger of winning a prize.” By those rules, JFK would’ve been dinged.
Everyone we admire, notice, imitate and love in public life has a unique way of doing things, and a unique appearance. They create crowds of fans not by grinding away their uniqueness, but by seeing it as the Signature!… that it is. This is counter-intuitive of course, because in life, we’re taught to blend in — to be “Safe.” But “safe” doesn’t win the commission, the big game, or the big promotion. Standing out does!
So, don’t let anyone tell you to go back to class until you look like everyone else. Stick with “doing that thing you do” and let people begin to take notice and follow along. In the Boardroom, the Conference room, the Dining room or the Pool room, as in Pitching, doing it your way (with or without the windup) is where you start to invest in your Signature.
Applications
1. For You
Maybe it’s your hair. Your special garment selection. Maybe that thing you do with your tie at lunch. Perhaps you pop your collar. The options are endless and fascinating. Get your friends to give you feedback about where the un-crossable lines are, and when you go too far. But find your thing, your look, your sound, your rhythm. Then stick with it! Inimitable, get it?!
2. At Home
Oh God. Every child faces the test of standing out or fitting in, and the pressures are unbearable. Watch the kids on a Saturday afternoon all in their “Kid Uniforms.” All being safe and crowding together, hoping nobody will single them out. But that’s exactly the point — to be willing to stand out when everyone else sticks in the huddle! Explain this fact of life to your kids and hold them close while they negotiate the passage to adulthood and find their own personal Signature!
3. At Work
Presentations are “Moments of Recognition.” You’ve got a few moments in the spotlight. Use them well and you become one of those acknowledged as “On the Fast Track!” Leaders (when you question them about their careers) will be able to tell you about the specific moments when fate singled them out and marked them for potential greatness. Every one of those people had been working at the same task — standing out, hoping for the opportunity! It’s not chance, it’s preparation! Signature opens the door!
In Pitching; “Winding Up or Not” isn’t the deal. But doing it your way and “Owning Your Moment in the Light” is what Signature is all about. So, as you go off to pitch for your career, remember that it must still be genuinely you, but with just the right amount of emphasis to help you shine when the light finds you.
Dessert:
Major League Pitchers Lose the Windup
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