Leadership Insight-Baseball and Leadership
The Dodgers are tanking. The Yankees are surging. Hope runs high in Chicago. The Devil Rays and Nationals are the Devil Rays and Nationals. This is a great time of year to remember the great connections between America’s pastime and leadership.
Baseball is a game of resilience. Last night: 0 for 4. Hit into a double play, struck out, grounded out and hit to a fielder’s choice. Tomorrow, you have to dig back into the batter’s box and go after it again. Positions of leadership require the same resilience and short term memory. You may get beat up pretty good today. Customer complaint, union grievance, three people called in sick, budget cuts and useless meeting. Tomorrow, you dig back in and go after again.
Baseball is a game of adaptability. First time up the guy blasted an inside fastball 450 feet into the left field seats. Second time up, fast ball away, slider away and cutter down. When methods do not yield the desired results, baseball players adapt. Great leaders are also adaptable. When a coaching method does not provide fruit, they change the approach. When they are not connecting with a team member, they examine and modify their style. Great leaders are situational adapters based on the needs of team members and the need of the organization.
Baseball is a game of inherent unfairness. The offensive player stands alone against nine members of the opposition. The batter has no idea what is coming. Even with best effort and contact, the chances of success range from 25% to 35%. Leaders face the same long odds. Their highest objective is to achieve victory and results when they face of group of competing goals. Leaders square off every day against entitlement,
Baseball is a game of learned and practiced skills. Unlike football or basketball, where inherent talent will rule the day, baseball requires repetitive building of skills to be successful. Thousands of ground balls. Hours in the batting cage. Throwing until your arm is rubber. Leadership is exactly the same. Great leaders, managers and supervisors are not born. They are crafted through the application of skills on a consistent basis. Leaders must constantly practice and hone their skill set in coaching, tone setting, mentoring, planning and team development.
Baseball is a game of collective results. Recently, the pitcher who gave up Barry Bond’s record breaking home run was asked why he was smiling and upbeat simply reminded the sportswriters that his team won. Regardless of ominous personal failures or even with spectacular personal victories, it still boils down to team wins and losses. Many leaders struggle with the dichotomy of personal achievement versus group results. Regardless of the quality of a strategic plan produced by the group leader, success hinges on the group’s ability to execute the plan. Even when one-on-one meetings are scheduled, ultimate success is found in the team performing better as a result of the action and not just for the action itself.
Baseball is a game that rewards the clever. As with adaptability, baseball games often hinge on the smallest and most ingenious plays. A pick-off at first base. A hit and run with two outs. A squeeze bunt. Leaders too will be rewarded for cleverness. Rather than simply replicating the results of predecessors or maintaining the status quo, the modern leader is required to seek different and creative methods and solutions.
Baseball is cruel. The nineteen year-old currently playing at triple A Pawtucket will be the next Manny Ramirez. In fact, he wants that job pretty badly. The team may elect to replace a high veteran salary with that of a rookie and live with his development period. The superstar could be traded for a prospect just based on economics. The business leader often has a similar fate. Some reorganizations move seasoned talent to “special projects.” Often downsizing targets mid-level management and supervision. Very often, the leader’s replacement is currently working within the organization and being groomed for promotion.
Baseball is a beautiful when played well. The pivot at second base during a double play. A two hit shut-out. The towering magnificence of a three run, walk-off home run. Leadership is also a beautiful thing to behold when it is done well. All team members functioning within their roles like a symphony and the leader is the conductor. Minor adjustments are being made and the system is running on all cylinders. Performance is peak. Dysfunction is non-existent.
