THE AUTHOR’S VIEW OF A ROYALS GAME CIRCA 2012.
The Kansas City Royals are World Series Champions. Here are five important leadership lessons from their amazing run.
- Stay in the game.Pulling off comebacks like the Royals did so often this postseason requires remaining composed, focused and confident even when things aren’t going as planned. We need leadership the most when things are unpredictable and chaotic. Keeping cool under fire allows you to keep plugging away.
- Make your own breaks.Royals first basemen Eric Hosmer scored the game-tying run in the ninth Sunday with an aggressive decision to break for home after the Mets’ third baseman threw to first for an easy out. The resulting play at the plate could have been close, but the throw home from first base was off line. Leadership requires taking smart risks and not letting a good opening pass you by.
- Keep your eyes on the prize. It’s easy to succumb to distractions that inevitably emerge over time. But the Royals inspired each other to focus on a collective purpose – winning the World Series after falling short a year ago. By constantly working with others to keep the big goal in sight, you’ll be better equipped to weather the bumps along the way.
- Turn to unlikely heroes. It’s doubtful that many people foresaw little-used infielder Christian Colon driving in what would be the winning run of the World Series. But he turned out to be the right person for the moment. The people you’ll need leadership from on your own challenge won’t always be the ones you expect to see delivering in the clutch. Remember, leadership is an activity and anyone can lead, any time.
- Hold to purpose. The Royals front office stuck to a plan of rebuilding the team around young, talented, homegrown players. Even when progress didn’t come as quickly many had hoped. But they also looked outside their organization for missing pieces to the puzzle. Good things don’t always happen quickly in leadership. You have to learn how to make adjustments on the fly even as you stay on the clearest path to progress.
