[March 22, 2017] My grandmother was a wise lady who often put the pain in life’s lessons with a vigor that I rarely forgot. While visiting her church one Sunday, my family was introduced to the congregation. Asked to stand, we did so but I went further by bowing and raising my hands up with an ear-to-ear smile. Grandstanding was what I did; a severe ear pull was my reward.
I was putting on a show and my family was not pleased. My grandstanding detracted from my family’s desire to let everyone there know that we were honored and happy to be guests at their church. Politicians are, of course, most frequently guilty of this behavior, just as I was to my personal pain. Leaders who grandstand may have their message overlooked.1
Politicians and senior executives are not the only people with a tendency to grandstanding. Colin Kaepernick2 of the San Francisco 49ers professional football team made a name for himself by showing disrespect to the American flag and country by kneeling during the National Anthem and making negative comments about the nation.
His defenders deny it but anyone watching and listening knows better. He was grandstanding and his antics overshadowed any message he was trying to deliver. National Football League officials, players, and their fans know better too and are not pleased.
“[Many teams] genuinely hate him and can’t stand what he did (kneeling for the national anthem). They want nothing to do with him. They won’t move on. They think showing no interest is a form of punishment. I think some teams also want to use Kaepernick as a cautionary tale to stop other players in the future from doing what he did.” – Unnamed NFL insider3
Leadership requires loyalty. Grandstanding destroys it. It’s that simple. As a 10-year old boy I got that lesson hammered into me by my grandmother and by my mom and dad saying how disappointed they were. Kaepernick, like me as a young boy, doesn’t know or doesn’t understand the importance of loyalty to the team (or family).
Professional athletes and Hollywood actors are especially notorious for grandstanding. Even the best are subject to this now and again. That brings me to my childhood favorite American boxer Joe Louis. I was so enthralled with him that I wrote a paper about his fights while I was in the 5th grade and I remember reading of his comments to a typical question of him in the days of World War II.
Joe Louis was asked why he was willing to fight for a country that treated blacks so poorly. He reportedly said that “There ain’t nothing wrong with this country that Hitler can fix.” His loyalty was rewarded.
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- What is Grandstanding? The term references a grandstand, a large amphitheater used for performances. The idea is that when people perform in an amphitheater, they are forced to over-act so that they can be seen by people in the upper levels; without being extremely vocal and obvious, the nuances of the performance might be missed. When someone is accused of grandstanding, it means that a show is being put on that is perhaps a bit too excessive for the venue. http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-grandstanding.htm
- Colin Kaepernick update: some teams ‘genuinely hate him’” http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/17/colin-kaepernick-update-some-teams-genuinely-hate-him/
- http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2698098-colin-kaepernick-sentenced-to-nfl-limbo-for-the-crime-of-speaking-his-mind