Earlier this year, I wrote a post on the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal and the pervasive lack of authentic leadership. Feel free to check it out. I’d like to build off this previous post and add some additional thoughts, now that the 2020 playoffs are over.
The Cheating Astros Players Shouldn’t Have Been Allowed to Play This Year
The Astros made it to the 2020 playoffs and, as in previous years, were a team to be reckoned with. As I saw this happening, I felt a great deal of frustration. This frustration was not with the talent of their team, but rather with how they were able to get away with so much.
Before this season started many of the Astros players literally got caught cheating, in arguably the biggest scandal since the 1919 Black Sox.
In my previous post, I talked about how the players most closely involved in the cheating need to be banned from the game for life. Yet here they are, continuing to play professional baseball as if nothing ever happened.
Maybe some people would argue that banning them from the game for life is too extreme. Fine. But at least ban them for a little while, like for at least a season.
Look – I don’t have a vendetta against the Houston Astros. I have a vendetta against lying, cheating, and a lack of authentic leadership. Many of the Houston Astros players showed their true character and colors, and yet they were allowed to continue playing in 2020. This simply doesn’t make sense to me. We need to stand up for what’s right.
I’m All for Kindness, But That Doesn’t Mean I Think We Should Look Past Cheating
As I talk about in my books and speeches, authentic leadership is all about striking that balance. Being forgiving doesn’t mean you let people walk all over you. Being understanding doesn’t mean you tolerate corruption.
I’m ALL for kindness and being the bigger person. As an anti-bullying advocate, I can tell you with certainty our society is way too brutal. At the same time, a line has to be drawn and at a certain point, we have to say we’re not going to tolerate a certain level of deceit. In this case, the Astros crossed the line.
I’m not the only one who feels this way. Look at what my friend Ernz said to me during a YouTube Live discussion:
Our Society Is Dysfunctional and Ass-Backwards
Our society is harsh for all the wrong reasons. Our society is harsh toward:
- People who bravely put themselves out there and share their stories.
- Transgenders and gays (who, by the way, are completely lovely people who have every right to express who they really are).
- People who make honest mistakes and say “politically incorrect” things.
- People who push back against our fake society.
- People who push back against corruption.
Clearly, our society has no issue with being harsh. But then the cheating Astros come along, and the penalty is nothing more than a minor slap on the wrist…and they’re allowed to continue playing as if nothing ever happened!
That’s what’s so aggravating here. Our society is harsh in all the wrong ways. And when there’s finally a good reason to be harsh, our society sweeps stuff under the rug and looks the other way. We live in a dysfunctional, ass-backwards society.
We Need To Stand Up To Corruption
If we let people with perceived power get away with dysfunctional corruption, then nothing will ever change. People will continue to be incentivized to cheat. People will not feel that the cons of dishonesty outweigh the pros, and lying will continue. Kids will grow up idolizing their corrupt heroes, thinking it’s OK to lie and cheat to get to the top. This is true across all realms of sports, business, and life.
None of this is OK. None of this is tolerable. None of this acceptable. But nothing will change until we start being harsh toward the right people, instead of being harsh toward the wrong people.
Our society is absurdly dysfunctional, and I’m aware that none of this will even come close to changing overnight. But I wanted to start a conversation here and bring awareness to the kind of society we live in, with the disgraceful Houston Astros being a perfect example of deceitful people getting away with corruption.
I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below: was the penalty against the Houston Astros harsh enough? Should the cheating players be allowed to continue to play? Why or why not?
Jeff Davis is an award-winning author, most recently publishing The Power of Authentic Leadership: Activating the 13 Keys to Achieving Prosperity Through Authenticity. He’s also an authentic leadership keynote speaker and Executive Coach to leaders and CEOs, offering individualized coaching. Follow him on Twitter.
