I was on the verge of a long night of peaceful sleep when this realization yanked me from my slumber and refused to let go of me.

Every Major League Baseball player works on the fundamentals of baseball every day.

They hit, they throw, and they catch. Before every single game.

They are the best of the best. The top 1% of the top 1%.

And every day they work on the basics.

I find this fascinating because you would think the most elite players would be the ones most likely to roll their eyes at fielding 100 more ground balls or doing sprint work in the outfield.

But they don’t. Because they know it is their mastery of the fundamentals that makes them elite.

The same is true in the context of leadership: Impossibly Effective leaders are constantly working on the fundamentals of leadership.

It’s the folks mired in mediocrity who are most likely to cross their arms and do a big huffy breath at the prospect of spending time on the fundamentals.

You will never be a perfect communicator. Work on it every day.

You will never be a perfect delegator. Work on it every day.

You will never create an atmosphere of perfect clarity for your team. Work on it every day.

You will never develop the perfect suite of systems. Work on them every day.

You will never give perfect feedback. Work on it every day.

The irony is the leaders most focused on improving at the small things are mostly likely to attract followers that will help them move mountains.

And the leaders who are most convinced that the fundamentals are beneath them are the leaders few want to follow.

TRY THIS: Give at least one piece of helpful encouragement or correction every day this week. Don’t wait for a formal 1-1, just observe and deploy. It doesn’t need to be monumental, just useful. Keep it short, kind, and clear. Pay attention to how people respond to learn more about how to tailor feedback to their needs.

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My free PDF, “The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams,” will show you the simple leadership moves that help teams unlock their full potential and deliver outsized results—without burning out. Grab your copy now at geoffwelch.com/secrets