The Texas Rangers just won their division, and are preparing for the playoffs.  (Go, Rangers!).  They also just set a season attendance record for the franchise.

So, a lot of good things are going on with the Rangers.  A key reason is the leadership of Nolan Ryan.  On Fox Sports Southwest broadcasts of the Rangers’ games, a regular feature is Ryan being interviewed from his seat in the stands during an inning of the game.  His insights are valuable, and honest.

But in this article, Nolan Ryan eyeing Rangers single-season attendance record, here is one hint about him and his leadership that speaks volumes:

Ryan and his wife, Ruth, make it a point to sit outside, next to the Rangers dugout, to experience the same conditions as everyday fans.

Ryan thinks the Rangers would have had many more fans if we had not had the hottest summer on record.  (Maybe an additional 150,000 – “This heat wave we’ve had this year, it wouldn’t surprise me if it affected our attendance by 150,000 folks, and those are real numbers”).  But the heat did not change his decision – he sat with the fans, not in a luxury box that was air conditioned and more comfortable.

It really is Leadership 101.  What a leader does speaks at least as loud as what a leader says.