Discussion Board

October 29, 2012

Leadership, Management & Workplace Lessons from S.F. Giants World Series Win

PETER DRUCKER MAY not have been a baseball coach. But the late management guru could have written a whole volume on the San Francisco Giants, masters of the cardiac comeback and

a case study in sports leadership.

Led by low-key manager Bruce Bochy and a business-like front office, the Giants once again defied fate and won the World Series on Sunday against the high-powered Detroit Tigers. Like a well-run company firing smoothly on all cylinders, the Giants swept the Tigers in four straight games to win their second championship in three years.

So what workplace, management and leadership truisms can be gleaned from the Giants' amazing run? Calm and Steady Does It. Business leaders don't have to be loud, bold, fast-talking CEOs or coaches. Managers and executives come in all stripes. The Giants' leadership -- manager Bochy, CEO Larry Baer,general manager Brian Sabean -- is refreshingly calm and low-key. From the building of their baseball stadium to the rehauling of their teams every few years, the Giants' big moves -- at least, those we know about -- seem to be rock-steady and consistent, with extra innings and the long haul in mind. Spread the Credit. Generously share the credit, don't hog it or steal it. Giants executives excel at staying out of the media spotlight, while guiding public attention to their athletes. Last week, Sabean praised the Giants players and told the media that "good things happen to good people, and great things happen to great people." Similarly, one of the Giants' stars, pitcher Sergio Romo, in media interviews endlessly praised his teammates and loyal Giants fans, and counted his blessings. Real team play. Many give lip service to the corporate "family" and "team," and egos run rampant in every organization. In contrast, the Giants in recent years have displayed true team play and spirit. Players and coaches mostly collaborate, work together. The chemistry in the clubhouse appears strong. Disputes are mostly kept in-house. Each employee fulfills his role on the squad. Most important, they come together on the field as a strong, seamless unit. It's a sports cliche, but manager Bochy told Fox Sports that it's amazing what a group of guys can accomplish "when they come together as a team."

Workplace diversity. Successful sports teams are studies in diversity. Athletes hail from all colors, cultures, walks of life. The Giants are no exception, with players as diverse as free- spirited pitchers Tim Lincecum, Brian Wilson and Romo; devout Christians Buster Poseyand Madison Bumgarner; Venezuelan players Marco Scutaro, Pablo Sandoval and others in the motley crew. Despite their differences, they play as one on the baseball diamond. Honor Thy Shareholders & Supporters. Giants managers and ballplayers lavish praise on the team's devout fans. Athletes typically praise their followers as "the greatest fans in sports," but that really may be true in San Francico. Money talks, and the fans have almost filled or sold out AT&T stadium for every game over the past decade. Investment bankers say that new sports facilities have a "halo effect" and only will sell out for 3 or 4 years after they're built. Not in San Francisco, where the fans' love affair with the Giants has yet to wane. Veteran Employees Still Contribute. Giants star Scutaro, the Most Valuable Player for the National League Championship Series last week, is 37-years-old. That's ancient for a pro athlete. The antithesis of the brash showboating jock, Scutaro is a humble, low-key professional who did his job as best he could throughout a long career. After the Giants won the league pennant last week, Scutaro's child-like joy -- looking skyward, tasting the rain, counting his blessings -- is an image that Giants fans will not forget. Persevere. Seven times down, eight times up, goes an old Japanese folk saying. On the brink of losing two of their division playoff series, the Giants roared back to beat the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds earlier. History shows that nearly all pro teams in major playoff series lose when they're down so far. But the Giants kept on battling. Baer told Fox Sports that the Giants learned precious life lessons in their "odyssey" this season. They didn't lose faith -- and now they've won a World Series trophy. Posted on October 29, 2012 at 12:01 AM in Diversity, Leadership and management, Sports | Permalink