Owning the moment: What real leadership looks like

We’re closing in on the end of our F.O.O.L.S. series, a journey through the five forms of foolishness that show up during the Zone—the conversion phase where habits must become skills under stress.

So far we’ve tackled:

This week, we arrive at the L in F.O.O.L.S.:

Lacking Leadership

Because in the Zone, no one makes it without leadership—and I’m not talking about titles.
Leadership in the Zone means owning your growth when pressure is present and results are required.

The Most Important Person You’ll Ever Lead Is Yourself

Too often we confuse leadership with charisma or with being the loudest voice in the room. But in player development, leadership is quiet, consistent and often invisible.

Leadership is:

Showing up when no one’s watching
Asking for feedback even when it’s uncomfortable
Training with urgency even when there’s no game on the line

And during the Zone, where pressure is applied to habits to produce skills, you can’t fake leadership. You either own the moment—or the moment owns you.

Leadership Is a Requirement, Not a Reward

Here’s the myth that’s made too many players into fools:

“I’ll lead when I’m ready.”
Wrong.

You don’t lead when you’re ready—you lead when it’s required. And in the Zone, leadership is always required. The players who wait to be led will always be chasing those who took the lead.

Signs You’re Lacking Leadership in the Zone:

You blame instead of build
You compare instead of commit
You complain about pressure instead of competing through it
You wait to be told instead of working with intent

Fools believe leadership is optional.

Professionals understand leadership is the price of the next level.

From Me to We: How Coaches Must Model Leadership

As coaches, we can’t just demand leadership—we have to demonstrate it. In my coaching, I define the word COACH as:

Cultivating growth
Creating opportunities
Advancing progress
Building confidence
Harmonizing a shared journey of learning and development

That means leadership for coaches isn’t about barking orders—it’s about building people. Especially when they’re under pressure.

Because if we don’t train our players to lead, they’ll crack under pressure or look to others to save them. And there won’t be room for that in the global game that’s coming.

What Leadership Looks Like in the Zone

Voice – Speak up when something’s off. Lead with truth and tone.
Vision – Know where you’re going and train with intention.
Vulnerability – Ask questions. Admit when you don’t know. That’s leadership.
Value – Know what makes you different and deliver it daily.

Leadership in the Zone isn’t about hype—it’s about habits under heat. And the players who take ownership now will perform when it counts.

The Future Is for Leaders

Baseball is on the brink of becoming more global than ever. When the worldwide draft hits and international teams enter the league, it will no longer be enough to be talented—you must be trained, skilled and able to lead.

Only fools wait to be told what to do.
The future belongs to those who train to take charge.

Preview of Week 5:

Next week, we close out the F.O.O.L.S. series with the final letter:

S – Skipping the Struggle

Because too many players want the results without the resistance. And that’s the most foolish move of all.

If you’re not leading, you’re following. And in the Zone, if you’re following without a direction, you’re just going through the motions.

Only fools lack leadership. Don’t be a fool.

Remember: Intelligence tops being smart.

For more information, visit www.diamonddirectors.com today.

If you found this inspiring and thought-provoking, or if you have any questions, comments or concerns, add me on Discord and let’s go deeper.

C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an associate scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, C.J. has more than 22 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients, including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to change your game for the better, C.J. Stewart has a proven system of development and a track record of success that can work for you.