Traded for a Bus
Can you learn something from being undervalued?
“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”
— William Bruce Cameron
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Traded for a Bus
Forty-three years ago—on January 19, 1983—something incredible happened in the Western Hockey League. Tom Martin was traded for a bus. Not future draft picks or a player swap. A used team bus, plus some cash, in exchange for his playing rights.
Martin’s team, the Seattle Breakers, needed a bus. The Victoria Cougars needed a forward. Martin became the solution to the two teams’ problems. Over time, the story turned into trivia and a punchline. The guy who got traded for a bus. That’s usually where the story ends. It shouldn’t … there’s more to it if we look more closely at the swap.
Tom Martin kept playing. He didn’t quit, sulk, or let the trade turn into a grudge. He went on to have a solid career, played professionally in Europe, and stayed in the game—proving to be servicable wherever he landed.
That’s the part worth sitting with for a second.
Most of us will land in a moment where our value gets measured in a way that doesn’t feel right. Where timing beats talent, and the spreadsheet says you’re worth less than reliable transportation. That’s when the real test starts.
This becomes more than a hockey trade story. It becomes a leadership story. Leadership is about being a reliable presence when things get messy.
Think about the people who’ve had the biggest influence on your life. They’re probably not the loudest or the most decorated. They’re the ones who showed up when it wasn’t convenient—the coach who believed in you, the teammate who stayed late to help, the mentor who answered the phone at an odd hour. That’s bus-type energy. Nothing flashy or glamorous. Rather, it is steady, necessary, get-the-job-done energy. Juice without ego.
Martin could be remembered as the guy who never got past being traded for a bus. Or, he can be an example of someone who didn’t let a moment define his path.
Take away your title, nameplate, and recognitions. Would what you do still matter?
Times are going to come when you’re going to be valued in a way that feels off … overlooked … unappreciated ... expendable. When that does happen, remember Tom Martin. Not because he was traded for a bus, but because that didn’t mean his future value would end there.
The people I’ve watched quietly change teams, organizations, and lives aren’t always the most flashy or celebrated. They are the ones who keep bringing their best, no matter how they’re being measured in the moment. And the world keeps moving because they show up.
As time fades and the noise dies down, what will be better because you were there?
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
— Jane Goodall
Connecting this quote to the story. Tom Martin couldn’t control how he was valued, but he could decide the kind of difference he made next—by choosing contribution over resentment and usefulness over recognition.
This week’s Chasing Influence tip: Stop worrying about how visible your work is. Start worrying about how useful it is.