BEING A FORCE MULTIPLIER

Being a force at the plate is phenomenal. But learning how to be a force multiplier makes you an invaluable commodity in the baseball world. In episode ten, JP discusses what it means to be a force multiplier... and explains how a hitter can take steps toward becoming that highly-sought-after asset so many teams and organizations are seeking to find.  

Transcript

BE A FORCE MULTIPLIER

ANYONE WHO PICKS UP A BAT WANTS TO BE A FORCE AT THE PLATE. A HITTER THAT CAN CARRY A TEAM FOR DAY’S ON END. THE TYPE OF GUY WHO CAN BE RELIED ON IN THE BIGGEST SPOTS. WE WANT TO BE THAT TALENTED BAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ORDER THAT CAN GO TOE TO TOE WITH THE BEST ARM AN OPPOSING TEAM CAN THROW AT US. 

BUT HITTERS AREN’T ALONE. 

THE MILITARY, NEEDLESS TO SAY, ALSO PLACES A HIGH VALUE ON BEING A FORCE. 

IT IS CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO INCREASE THE IMPACT AND EFFICIENCY OF INDIVIDUAL SOLDIERS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE UNITS.

AND WHEN THEY IDENTIFY A FACTOR THAT CAN DRASTICALLY AMPLIFY A UNIT’S POWER AND EFFECTIVENESS — THEY CALL IT A FORCE MULTIPLIER. 

THIS CAN COME IN THE FORM OF IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY, BETTER TACTICS OR INCREASED TRAINING… AND IT MAKES A MILITARY UNIT OF A PARTICULAR SIZE INCREASE ITS POTENCY WELL BEYOND ITS CURRENT MEANS. 

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE MOST COVETED FORCE MULTIPLIER CAN BE FOUND IN THE FORM OF HUMAN BEINGS, 

SPECIFICALLY THOSE WHO IMPACT THOSE AROUND THEM IN SUCH A POTENT MANNER THAT THEY SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND PERFORMANCE. IT’S THE TYPE OF INFLUENCE FELT AT INCREDIBLE DEPTHS ACROSS A VAST BREADTH OF LANDSCAPE — AS THE POSITIVE FORCE CREATED BY THAT ONE INDIVIDUAL MULTIPLIES THE POTENCY OF EVERYONE HE OR SHE COMES IN CONTACT WITH. 

WE CAN RELATE TO THIS AS HITTERS, RIGHT? 

BETTER TECH, BETTER INSTRUCTION, BETTER EQUIPMENT… ALL FORCE MULTIPLIERS FOR A TEAM. NO QUESTION. 

BUT THERE IS NOTHING — ABSOLUTELY NOTHING — MORE POWERFUL IN BASEBALL THAN A HITTER WHO IS A FORCE AT THE PLATE… AND A FORCE MULTIPLIER IN THE DUGOUT AND CLUBHOUSE. 

IF YOU HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO PLAY BESIDE A FORCE MULTIPLIER THAN YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. 

IT’S AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE. AND THEIR IMPACT, NO DOUBT, RESONATES WITH YOU TO THIS DAY.

BECAUSE THEY ARE A RARE FIND INDEED. AND TEAMS WILL SEEK THESE INDIVIDUALS OUT AT ALL COSTS — KNOWING THAT THEIR IMPACT IS UNEQUALLED. WHEN YOU ARE A FORCE MULTIPLIER YOU ARE ABLE TO TRANSCEND THE NORMAL MEANS AND METRICS USED TO QUANTIFY A PLAYER’S WORTH. 

TAKE MARCUS SIMIEN FOR EXAMPLE.

WHEN HE SIGNED HIS 7-YEAR 175 MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT WITH THE TEXAS RANGERS IN 2021… HIS HITTING METRICS WERE GOOD BUT THERE WAS AN ARGUMENT MADE BY SOME BASEBALL PUNDITS THAT CLAIMED MARCUS’ PROJECTED PRODUCTION WAS NOT WORTH THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY. 

I WAS IN THE CAGE WITH A VETERAN HITTER AND HE ASKED ME WHAT I THOUGHT OF THE SIGNING. 

I TOLD HIM THAT I WASN’T CONVINCED SIMIEN’S HITTING PERFORMANCE WARRANTED THAT LEVEL OF SALARY.

AND HE LOOKED AT ME, SHOOK HIS HEAD… 

AND THEN WENT ON TO TELL ME THAT I WAS DEAD FREAKIN’ WRONG. 

HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE THIS: “JP… HE IS WORTH EVERY PENNY AND MORE. THAT DUDE IS THE FINEST TEAMMATE I HAVE EVER BEEN AROUND IN MY LIFE. AND I WOULD SIGN WITH THE RANGERS RIGHT NOW FOR HALF WHAT I AM MAKING TO PLAY BESIDE HIM. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE PLAYING WITH MARCUS. HE MAKES EVERY SINGLE PERSON AROUND HIM BETTER. AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED THE RANGERS GOT A STEAL.” 

I STOOD CORRECTED. 

AND SURE ENOUGH…

TWO YEARS LATER THE TEXAS RANGERS WON THE WORLD SERIES. 

COINCIDENCE? 

THAT VETERAN KNEW BETTER. 

MARCUS SIMIEN IS THE EPITOME OF A FORCE MULTIPLIER. 

SO LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT IT TAKES TO IMPACT MORE THAN JUST THE BASEBALL...

FOR ONE, A FORCE MULTIPLIER OPENLY SHARES HIS ARMORY OF KNOWLEDGE IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE HIS TEAMMATES BETTER. THEY SPREAD THE WEALTH. THEY GIVE WHAT THEY’VE GOT. THEY DON’T LOCK IT AWAY FROM THEIR TEAMMATES, GUARDING THEIR TREASURE-TROVE OF HITTING WISDOM LIKE THE NUCLEAR CODES. THEY DRAW FROM THEIR VAST INFORMATION BASE AND SPREAD IT LIKE WILDFIRE TO ANY TEAMMATE WILLING TO RECEIVE IT. 

TWO, A FORCE MULTIPLIER HELPS CREATE A PERFORMANCE-RICH ENVIRONMENT, BYPASSING NEGATIVITY AND COMPLAINING AND EXCUSES… TO CULTIVATE A PLACE WHERE EVERY HITTER MAXIMIZES THEIR CHANCES OF SUCCESS. HE IS SOLUTION ORIENTED, ALWAYS FOCUSED ON FINDING THE BEST WAY FORWARD. AND HE HAS AN UNSHAKEABLE FAITH IN HIS COMMITMENT TO CRAFT… HONING ALL THREE AREAS OF HIS HITTING GAME: MECHANICS, MINDSET AND APPROACH. THIS GUY IS A MASTER OF M.M.A. 

THREE, A FORCE MULTIPLIER MAKES IT A PRIORITY TO SUPPORT TEAMMATES EVEN WHEN HIS OWN PERFORMANCE IS CLEARLY WAVERING. IT’S AN ADMIRABLE GESTURE TO UPLIFT OTHERS WHEN WE ARE FLYING HIGH… BUT IT IS A HELL OF A LOT MORE IMPRESSIVE WHEN WE CAN REACH A HAND OUT TO THOSE IN NEED WHEN WE OURSELVES ARE BARELY HANGING ON. THE FORCE MULTIPLIER IS ABLE TO MOVE BEYOND HIS OWN PERSONAL PERFORMANCE DISAPPOINTMENTS… FINDING A WAY TO POSITIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE GREATER GOOD EVEN WHEN HE MAY FEEL FRUSTRATED. HE’S A BIG PICTURE GUY THROUGH AND THROUGH. 

FOUR, A FORCE MULTIPLIER GOES OUT OF HIS WAY TO MAKE YOUNG PLAYERS OR NEWCOMERS FEEL WELCOME. FRESH BLOOD CAN MAKE A TEAM FEEL VULNERABLE. OR GUARDED. A SEASONED CLUBHOUSE CAN OFTEN MAKE THE NEWLY ARRIVED FEEL LIKE THEY CRASHED A FAMILY PARTY. SO THE FORCE MULTIPLIER TAKES THE FIRST STEP, OPENS THE DOOR, AND WELCOMES A NEW TEAMMATE TO THE HOUSE… SHOWING THEM AROUND… OFFERING THEM A WARM RECEPTION. BECAUSE SOMEDAY — THEY KNOW THEY MAY BE THE ONE COMING THROUGH THOSE DOORS. 

FIVE, A FORCE MULTIPLIER IS CAPABLE OF SUPPLYING WHATEVER A TEAM MAY BE MISSING IN THE MOMENT — NEED SOME HIGH ENERGY? THIS DUDE CAN TURN INTO A HUMAN RED BULL. NEED INSPIRATION? HE WILL CALL ON AN ANECDOTE OR STORY THAT WILL HAVE HIS TEAMMATES READY TO RUN THROUGH WALLS. OR MAYBE A TEAM NEEDS SOME LEVITY — A FORCE MULTIPLIER WILL FIND A WAY TO BRING WILL-FERREL LEVEL LAUGHS. HE’S BASICALLY JUST A GUY WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO DELIVER WHAT HIS TEAM NEEDS MOST IN THE MOMENT. 

THOSE ARE JUST FIVE QUICK CHARACTERISTICS OF A FORCE MULTIPLIER. THERE ARE OTHERS, OF COURSE. BUT REGARDLESS OF WHAT THOSE POSITIVE QUALITIES ARE… THIS IS A GUY WHO WILL LIKELY DO MOST OF THAT WORK IN THE SHADOWS. HE’S NOT LOOKING FOR ACCOLADES OR CREDIT. HE KNOWS THAT WOULD UNDERMINE THE SPIRIT OF HIS INTENTIONS.

A FORCE MULTIPLIER SIMPLY WANTS TO IMPACT HIS TEAM IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS AT MYRIAD POINTS IN TIME. 

LIKE A ROCK TOSSED IN THE MIDDLE OF A POND… THOSE RIPPLES MOVING FARTHER AND FARTHER OUT. HIS IMPACT IS EXPONENTIAL. 

YOU CAN FEED OFF HIM. YOU CAN RELY ON HIM.

BUT THIS LEVEL OF IMPACT DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. IT TAKES YEARS TO CULTIVATE THIS MAGNITUDE OF INFLUENCE.

SO START SMALL. 

THINK OF A TEAMMATE WHO COULD USE A PICK-ME-UP TODAY. 

LEND A KIND WORD. 

SLAP A SHOULDER.

THROW SOMEBODY A COMPLIMENT

GRAB YOUR IPAD… AND SIT DOWN AND HELP A STRUGGLING HITTER NAVIGATE HIS MECHANICS. 

EVEN IF YOU PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE CRAP — ESPECIALLY IF YOU FEEL LIKE CRAP… FIND A WAY TO LIGHTEN SOMEONE ELSE’S LOAD. 

BECAUSE A FORCE MULTIPLIER KNOWS THAT DESPITE THE FACT HIS INTENTIONS ARE PURE, AND HE’S LOOKING TO HELP OTHERS… IT IS HE WHO OFTEN BENEFITS THE MOST FROM THE ACTIONS HE TAKES ON HIS TEAMMATES’ BEHALF. 

HE KNOWS HE’S GOING TO FEEL BETTER ON THAT 0 FOR 4 DAY HAVING WATCHED A YOUNG TEAMMATE GET THE GAME-WINNING HIT THANKS IN LARGE PART TO THE ADVICE HE PROVIDED HIM PRIOR TO THE AT BAT. 

WHEN YOU ARE FORCE MULTIPLYING — YOU ARE SEEKING A GREATER GOOD FOR YOUR TEAM… AND IT REDUCES THE OBSESSIVE FOCUS ON YOUR PRODUCTION AND RESULTS. IT LIGHTENS YOUR OWN PERSONAL PERFORMANCE LOAD, SPREADING IT OUT IN MORE AREAS THAN JUST THE BATTER’S BOX. 

I OFTEN FIND IT FASCINATING TO HEAR BIG LEAGUE HITTERS TALK ABOUT RETIRED PLAYERS. SURE, THEY MAY MENTION THEIR PLAYING ABILITY OR THE GREAT STORIES THEY TELL — BUT THOSE THINGS DON’T TEND TO DEFINE THEIR LEGACY. WHAT DOES… IS HOW THEY WERE REGARDED AS A TEAMMATE. WHAT IMPACT DID THEY HAVE ON THE GUYS THAT WERE IN THE FOXHOLE WITH THEM ALL THOSE YEARS. WHAT WAS THEIR LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO THOSE AROUND THEM?

THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF A FORCE-MULTIPLIER’S IMPACT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GAUGE — THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF YOUR ACTIONS CAN BE FELT FOR YEARS AND YEARS… OFTEN ON PLAYERS YOU MAY NEVER EVEN MEET. 

FOR INSTANCE, WHILE WATCHING THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES THIS PAST WEEK, I HEARD ANNOUNCER CHRIS BURKE MENTION HOW VALUABLE IT IS TO HAVE AN UPPERCLASSMAN WHO GOES OUT OF HIS WAY TO GUIDE YOUNGER PLAYERS THROUGH A PROGRAM’S INS AND OUTS — TAKING THEM UNDER THEIR WING AND SHOWING THEM HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT THEIR PARTICULAR SCHOOL. THEY ESSENTIALLY PASS THE KNOWLEDGE BATON TO THOSE YOUNGER PLAYERS… WHO THEN BECOME UPPERCLASSMEN… AND PASS ALONG THAT SAME PRICELESS INFORMATION… AND ON AND ON AND ON.  

THIS IS FORCE MULTIPLYING AT ITS FINEST.

WHERE A SINGLE STUDENT-ATHLETE ESSENTIALLY IMPACTS A LEGION OF CLASSES BEHIND HIM LONG AFTER HE’S DEPARTED THE CAMPUS. 

THIS BEHAVIOR IS BEING SEEN LESS AND LESS IN A WORLD WHERE THE COMPETITION HAS NEVER BEEN MORE FIERCE. WE LIVE IN A TIME OF OVERSPECIALIZATION AND HIGH STAKES AT A YOUNGER AND YOUNGER AGE —

PLAYERS HAVE TO OFTEN SCRATCH AND CLAW FOR EVERYTHING THEY GET IN THE BASEBALL WORLD THESE DAYS. SO THE THOUGHT OF HELPING OUT THE DUDE WHO IS FIGHTING FOR THE SAME EXPOSURE OR ACCOLADES OR RESOURCES AS YOU — CAN SEEM LIKE THE LAST DAMN THING ON YOUR MIND. OR WORSE, JUST A BAD SUCCESS STRATEGY.

BUT POSITIVELY INFLUENCING THOSE AROUND YOU IS NEVER A BAD APPROACH.  

I PROMISE YOU THIS. 

IT MAY SEEM LIKE YOU’VE GOT TO LOOK OUT FOR OL’ NUMERO UNO AT ALL COSTS! BUT THERE IS A RESERVOIR OF POSITIVE EXPERIENCES AND PERSONAL GROWTH AWAITING YOU WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO CROSS THAT THRESHOLD FROM ME, ME, ME TO… US. 

LOOK, NOBODY IS EXPECTING YOU TO BE MARCUS SIMIEN… THE BEST TEAMMATE ON THE PLANET BY MANY ACCOUNTS. 

BUT I AM INVITING YOU TO RECONSIDER YOUR SCOPE OF SUCCESS ON THAT FIELD TODAY. TAKE JUST A MOMENT BEFORE YOU LACE UP YOUR SPIKES BESIDE ALL YOUR TEAMMATES AND MARCH TOGETHER INTO THAT FOXHOLE WE CALL A DUGOUT… 

AND CONSIDER… REALLY CONSIDER… HOW PHENOMENAL IT COULD BE…

TO IMPACT MORE THAN JUST THE BASEBALL. 

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