Masonry Magazine August 2014 Page. 44
MAS5308_August2014_MAS 7/22/14 10:19 AM Page 42
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FULL CONTACT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
By "Coach" Gary Micheloni
Why Tony Was Always a Winner
In talking about leadership, it's a help to have great examples of people who have accomplished much and made a difference. I try to do that here, each month, on the pages of Masonry Maga�zine. Off the top of my head, recent examples have included statesmen (never politicians), fighter pilots, Olympic athletes, military generals and, this month, Anthony (Tony) Keith Gwynn, Jr. Leadership is what connects the dots here.
Coach Gary's definition of great leadership is someone who has taken what he has been given and made the most of it. If he did it against all odds, that's even better.
And, if you can accomplish all that, while never speaking poorly of your competition or your teammates, not making a spectacle of yourself in the tabloids, not being busted for drugs, and not blaming others for your loss, that's a pretty big deal
Some may argue that Tony Gwynn was born with exceptional talent. Maybe, but better yet, he was born with a desire to succeed, and to put in the work required to make it happen. There must be something to that: He was the first person ever to be named by the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) to its All Conference teams in both baseball and basketball. In fact, he was drafted the same day by both the San Diego Padres
TONY GWYNN SAYS:
"Rememberthese two things: Play
hard and have fun."
and the Clippers. And, his college scholarship was in
basketball
He went on to prove his value as an MLB play�er: 15 All-Star awards, 5 Gold Gloves, 8 NL Bat�ting Titles, 2007 Baseball Hall of Fame, and then as a head coach for 12 sea�sons with the SDSU Aztecs. He darned near batted .400 one season, while on a team that had
~
not very much in the way ..,
,\:;
of feared hitters. So, the ~ opposing pitchers tried ~ never to throw him any-i thing good, but pitch ~ around him. He found a 0 way to fashion those throw-away pitches into something good for his team: hits. Ultimately, he got 3,141 of them, to go along with a career batting average of .338.
But for all ofhis accomplishments on the field, both college and pro, it was his presence in the community that endears him to so many hearts. Tony didn't just talk a good game. He showed it. While he could have made much more moneyelse�where, he stayed for his entire career with the same small-market team. And, he did the same thing later as a college coach.
Similarly, how will you be remem�bered? Sure, we all want our businesses to be successful, but what about the lega�cy of your business and of your life? MCAA is here for you and does all it can to help you build a solid business. Build an enduring legacy of integrity, quality, family and community involvement. If we all do that, \ve'd make Coach Tony very proud! IMAS
Gary Mlchelonl is a construction
company marketer, working project
manager, speaker, author, consultant
and coach.
Copyright 2014 Gary Micheloni
COACH GARY 'S CORNER:
What's your plan for All-Starstatus in 2014? Are you marketing your company and driving business to it, or are you just hoping that you'll run into some? Write Coach Gary at FullContactTeam@gmail.com. Ask Coach Gary to speak for your group, association or convention, or even to coach your company. Coach Gary's first book, "Get Paid for a Change!n is available at Amazon.com. Pick it up there; change your business.
42 MASONRY � August 2014 � www.masoncontractors.org The Voice of the Masonry Industry