Humbled To Help

Clint Hurdle has spent 48 seasons in professional baseball, where he has won a total of 1,269 games as a manager between the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates — including leading the Rockies to their first ever World Series appearance in 2007.

I’ve been following Clint on social media for a while, and what stands out about him is his authenticity. He talks about all of his life experiences: getting divorced (twice), getting a DUI (twice), getting fired (thrice), having kids (thrice), being a top prospect, getting traded and cut, getting sober.

All of it.

By openly engaging with his mistakes, mishaps, and misdemeanours, he comes across as someone who truly understands life and leadership. He seems reasonable, approachable, and wise — the types of eldership we need around coaching at the moment.

Recently, Clint released a book called Hurdle-isms, a collection of twenty five maxims that he’s used to help himself and the people around him.

They may help you too, so here they are:

1. Don't keep score
   Not just in baseball, but in life. You'll wear yourself out keeping track of who owes who what.

2. Shower well

   When the game beats you up, wash it off. Don't take today's dirt into tomorrow. Let it circle down the drain.
   

3. Get a good pitch to hit

   As a hitting coach, I'd always ask: "Did you get a good pitch to hit?" If not, it's hard to get a hit. Life's the same way; you need to prepare, eliminate distractions, practice, and be patient. One bad swing doesn't end the game. There is usually another opportunity to ‘get a good pitch’ and deliver a hit.
   

4. Multi-tasking makes me multi‐mediocre

   Doing everything at once means doing nothing well.
   

5. You become great by being good for a long time

   You don't become a great parent, a great sibling, or a great friend overnight. You won't be a great employee or a great boss in a week. It will take you longer than a month to become a great mentor, leader, coach, or teacher. A good consistent year of day-to-day solid, consistent performance will put you in a position to be trusted, to be listened to, and to make a difference and impact others on the journey.
   

6. Hard work doesn't guarantee success, however not working hard will guarantee not having success

   Hard work becomes contagious, spreading through a team like wildfire. You might not win every time, but without putting in the work, you're already defeated.
   

7. Develop a white‐belt mentality

   Being a beginner isn't a weakness. It's an opportunity. Always approach life like a student, ears and eyes wide open.

8. Let's drop this old‐school versus new‐school debate
   Let’s all just be ‘in-school’ together.
   

9. Not everything in life and sport needs to be leveraged

   Sometimes, you've just got to let moments unfold organically. Players need space to fail, learn, and grow. Trying to manipulate every situation kills the human spirit of competition.
   

10. Build your Mount Rushmore

    I've learned the hard way that asking for help is a superpower and that I'll never have all the right answers. I need to surround myself with people I trust, and I know they will speak truth to me. My friend Rod Olson encouraged me to come up with a Mount Rushmore group of people to connect with — a group I knew I could trust. I knew they cared about me, and I knew they could make me better. Another friend Mike Matheny also spoke wisdom along the same lines. Mike called it having a board of directors for your life.
    

11. There are two kinds of people in this world: those who are humble and those who are about to be

    I've pretty much had the ego kicked out of me, and it's been replaced with humility.
    

12. The smallest package in the world is a person wrapped up in themself
    When I'm wrapped up in myself, my job, or my hobbies, I'm a very selfish person. The moment you shift focus from yourself to those around you, you become part of something bigger. Your family needs you. Your friends need you. The world needs you.
    

13. Honoured to serve, humbled to help

    When you approach life as a chance to provide service, not to be the most important person, you'll find true fulfillment.
    

14. Build the house

    During our rebuild in Colorado, I came up with the idea to share that we were going to ‘build the house’. I was hoping to create a mindset where we didn't focus on what we didn't have, and instead focused on what we did have. In these tough times, we would focus on each task at hand, not be consumed with the past.
    

15. There's no guarantee you're going to get to sip lemonade by the pool

    Even though we worked hard to ‘build the house’, success isn't promised. You're not automatically going to sip lemonade by the pool just because you've worked hard. You’ve got to stay focused on doing your job every single day. Even when times are tough.
    

16. I'm just trying to be a simple person in a complex world

    I was drowning in doctor appointments, baseball games, and family challenges — the ups and downs of life. Instead of getting crushed by my long to-do list, I focused on one task at a time. Eliminate distractions. Keep things simple.
    

17. Lower the bar and you lose the winners; raise the bar and you lose the losers

    Winners don't settle for less. They’re always looking for ways to improve and get better both physically and mentally. They don’t want to lower the bar. So make sure you’re raising the bar.
    

18. We don't have time to have just another day

    I’m tired of hearing people say, "It's just another day." We don't have time to waste or settle for average. Make each day count. Don’t wait until tomorrow. Remember: there will come a time when you don't get any more days.
    

19. Honor the exit

    I’ve been fired 3 times. It’s how I know that getting fired isn't the end, it's an opportunity to show who you really are. When life hands you a pink slip, honor the exit with grace, dignity, and professionalism. Don't point fingers, don't burn bridges, and don't let disappointment define you. Instead, thank those who gave you the chance, hold your head high and look people in the eye on your way out.
    

20. Don't lose your stuff

    I applaud all the parents who just show up, cheer, encourage everyone, and thank the coaching staff once the competition is over. This actually might be abnormal behavior because I see so much of the other.
    

21. It's not about proving others wrong; it's about proving yourself right

    Bobby Cox once told me: “Clint, don't waste your time or energy listening to what other people think about your team or the job you're doing. You don't need to make sure they get it right. They'll say what they want to say, and they'll write what they want to write, and they're not going to ask you for your opinions or thoughts. Let your public relations guy read the newspapers and the notes and give you a heads-up on anything that you really need to know. Let him make your life easier.”
    
    He continued, “The only people you need to confide in and have conversations with are those in your organization and life who care about you and will tell you the truth. Trust your gut – unless it's indigestion – and follow what's best for you, and you'll prove yourself right.”
    

22. Model the behaviors you hope to instil in others

    People are always watching, especially your kids. You’ve got to walk the walk.
    

23. Respect everyone, fear no-one

    When you respect everyone and fear no-one, you open yourself to learning, growing, and connecting.
    

24. The tone and timing of what we say can be a deal-maker or a deal‐breaker

    Words aren't just about what you say, but how and when you say them.
    

25. Celebrate others' success; when you celebrate others, you get to celebrate way more often

    Muditā is a Sanskrit term for the joy that comes from delighting in other people's well-being and success. More of that, please.