Bringing Good to Tough Situations
Tig grew up in Loris, South Carolina, population barely
exceeding 2,000. Four-time high school
All-American in wrestling, excelled in the 100 meters race and shotput, and
distinguished himself both in high school and as a Clemson Tiger in
football. And now a highly drafted
rookie with the NFL Tennessee Titans.
Jonathan “Tig” Willard was on his way to the Titans training
camp in Nashville on Tuesday, July 25th when halfway into his 600
mile drive near the city of Oak Ridge he spied a sports utility vehicle smoking
excessively. He flashed his lights,
honked his horn to get the driver to pull over.
Then he saw the flames shoot out the back of the car. Thirty seconds later, the woman driving the
car pulled over.
“As soon as I got to the car, I saw three small kids in the
back seat and a dog,” said Willard. “So
for me, I’m thinking, ‘Hurry up and get everybody out and get them away from
the car.’ You could see, probably up
under the engine, all that was still on fire.
So I’m thinking the car might go up anytime.”
With the assistance of another motorist Willard removed the
family, which included an infant and two other very young children.
“Probably two minutes after we got everyone to safety, the
car blew up once. Then, probably a
couple minutes after that, it blew up again—probably about four times.”
“I’m proud of him,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said. “We’re proud that he got involved. He saw something, reacted in a positive way
and brought good to a tough situation.”
How Coach Munchak described so tersely the decisive,
intentional actions of his recently drafted football rookie should be
communicated throughout the sports, business, government, and professional worlds. Be alert for what’s happening around us,
react positively and bring good to a tough situation.
How much loss might have been avoided by its clients had Goldman
Sachs followed Munch’s sage words during the risky, wreckful investment years
2003-2006? Seek the good of your clients—that’s
it!
And the pitiful case of Aaron Hernandez, former star tight
end of the New England Patriots. A
history of violence and trouble has been his record. And now serious criminal allegations
including murder. Instead of displaying
his giftedness on the football field and bringing good to all the kids that
might be positively impacted, Hernandez sits in jail.
And just when we thought the “steroid era” was over in
baseball, we learn that Milwaukee Brewers all-star outfielder Ryan Braun (2011
National League Most Valuable Player) has been suspended for the rest of the
baseball season for use of performance enhancing drugs. What a blown opportunity to lever off his
tremendous 2011 year and behave positively, influentially. He should’ve followed the Munch code: be alert; react positively; bring good to a
tough situation.
I’m confident that for every Goldman Sachs, Hernandez, or
Braun, there are hundreds and thousands of Tigs—the Jonathan Willards who are
seemingly motivated beyond what a game brings, beyond what a business deal
might profit and beyond what cheating to get ahead rewards.
Is it naïve or Pollyannaish to really believe and act in a
way that really stays alert for opportunities to help others, to impact others
by our influence and to bring good to tough situations?
Tig doesn’t think so.
After his daring, risky rescue effort, he remarked in true hero
fashion: “It kind of topped everything I’ve
ever done on the football field.”
I don’t know what kind of professional football player
Jonathan Willard will turn out to be. He
may be an all NFL linebacker one day.
That’ll be great. But I tell you
what I do know. Jonathan has character
and he cares for people. Football is a
game and yes a business. And whether we’re
engaged in professional sports or business, it doesn’t change the grand dynamic
of using our influence and conducting ourselves so that we indeed bring good to
tough situations.
David A. Costello, CPA
Ad astra
Per aspera
