Pedroia's Leadership Lesson

Being the best hitter on your team comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility. "As you go, we go." Not only do you have the pressure to perform and lead from the front, but you also have the pressure to set the tone and attitude of the team. 

This story of a young Dustin Pedroia should resonate with everyone watching it. We have all been on teams where guys come back from an AB totally defeated. Saying things like "Man this guy is good." or "That breaking ball was nasty." 

While that all might be true, as a leader, you can't always let your teammates know how you really feel. While I'm not a fan of coming back into the dugout after a bad AB and always saying "This guy sucks." Saying things like "We've got this guy, nothing special." or "Today's gonna be a good day fellas, we can hit this guy." has a dramatic impact on the mentality of your team.  

You set the tone. You actions and words are weapons you need to use wisely, every single game. If the best player on the team comes back defeated, well, the rest of the team has no chance either. Be positive. Be selfless. Be self-aware. 

Sometimes being a great leader means faking positivity for the betterment of the group, even if you personally are feeling frustrated and defeated.