We regularly hear laments about our win-at-all-cost culture.

Don't worry, this isn't one of those “what’s the world is coming to?” posts.

Winning is, of course, great, but sometimes the moments that transcend winning often create more lasting impressions.

I was living in Tucson about 15 years ago and went to a neighbor’s house for a dinner party. There were a number of people there I hadn’t met before. One was an ex-professional baseball player.  I'll call him Eddie.

He wasn’t a star player…more of a journeyman…playing a number of different positions on a number of different teams, including the White Sox, Indians, Yankees and the, at that time, Washington Senators.

I had never had the chance to have an extended exchange with a professional athlete. I wasn’t sure what to ask that wouldn’t seem silly so I just said, “I would love to hear your favorite story of your time in the Majors.”

“That’s easy,” he said.

It was the late 1960s. Eddie was playing for the NY Yankees and the Washington Senators were in town. Ted Williams was managing the Senators at that time.

For those who aren’t American sports fans, Ted Williams is widely regarded as the greatest hitter of all time and by many as one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Eddie was sitting in the locker room before the game and someone told him Ted Williams wanted to see him. He went to the Senators locker room, and Ted said, “I want you to know that I am going to be trading for you next year,” and asked Eddie what he thought about that. Eddie was delighted and they spent some time discussing how Ted saw him fitting in with the Senators.

As Eddie stood to head back, Ted said to him, “By the way, we keep striking you out on sliders (a kind of baseball pitch). That's because you’re pulling your front shoulder out too fast when you swing. If you keep your shoulder in and down and take the pitch to the opposite field, it won’t be so easy to get you out.”

Something beyond knowledge comes through in those personal exchanges. Something deeper.

In the game that night, in his first at bat with two runners on, Eddie was, as usual, getting a steady dose of sliders. He did what Williams told him…kept his shoulder in and down…and ripped a slider into the opposite field gap, scoring both runners and sliding safely into second base with a double.

As Eddie dusted himself off, he looked over at the Senators dugout and Williams was standing on the top step, looking at him, and applauding!

Williams’ pitcher looked on in absolute dismay trying to figure out why his manager was cheering a player from the other team who had just knocked in two runs.

For Williams, in that moment, the art of hitting and helping someone improve with something that was his passion was more important than the status of the game or the score.

Sure it’s a success story, but it is really a story about moments when someone's passion for a topic and their desire to convey it to you transcends winning and success and credit.

One thing amazing to me is that an ex-Major leaguer’s favorite story was not about his exploits…his game winning catch or his upper deck home run...or the adoration of the fans.

Sure it’s a success story, but it is really a story about moments when someone's passion for a topic and their desire to convey it to you transcends winning and success and credit.

Do you have anything like Williams' love of hitting? Perhaps it is something you just can’t stop reading about, studying, sharing with others, and helping others learn.

If you do, know this: something beyond knowledge comes through in those personal exchanges. Something deeper.  

Here's the message for leaders:  As we approach Thanksgiving in a year that has been difficult almost beyond comprehension...keep teaching others. Keep sharing your passion and deepest gifts with those around you.  

One day, it might be someone's favorite story about their career.

Dennis Adsit, Ph.D. is the President of Adsum Insights and the author of The "Me" in Meetings, a no nonsense training course for leaders or organizations who are sick and tired of living with the lost productivity and complaints about ineffective meetings.