In my new book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders I point out the most common trait of the world’s most successful leaders is their ability to build great teams around them. Smart leaders understand you can accomplish more through a team than you ever could individually.
In the Wednesday, July 25 edition of The USA Today, Gabe Lacque profiles the team with Major League Baseball’s best record – the Boston Red Sox. As I read Lacque’s thoughts, I realized how much I wanted to pass them along to this audience.
The following are 9 Habits Of Highly Successful Teams I gleaned from Lacques’ article:
- Highly Successful Teams Are Often Surprised By Their Own Success – Starting pitcher David Price asked, “Are we 70-30? Wow!” Actually, the Red Sox had a 71-31 record.
- Highly Successful Teams Continually Look To Get Better – The Red Sox are looking a veteran reliever and perhaps a starting pitcher by the trade deadline.
- Highly Successful Teams Are Really Good In Many Areas – Red Sox’s president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said, “Sometimes we play spectacular defense. We have good starting pitching. At times, spectacular. We have a good bullpen. At times, spectacular. We’re really good in a lot of areas.” Price adds, “I don’t know what we don’t do well. Even on really good teams, there’s going to be one aspect to improve. And teams can always improve. But we do everything extremely well.”
- Highly Successful Teams Have Great Depth – Dombrowski adds, “We’re deep.”
- Highly Successful Teams Pay Top Dollar For Top Talent – The Red Sox have the league’s highest opening day payroll of $223 million. Part of this cost is the $217 million acquisition of pitcher David Price and the $110 million signing of J.D. Martinez this past off-season.
- Highly Successful Teams Lower The Stress Levels Of Their Players – The Red Sox have played in only 23 one-run games. This is the fewest of all American League teams likely to make the playoffs. The Red Sox are also 23-9 in games decided by 5 runs or more. Larger margins of victory allow for you to rest your top talent. For example…
- Highly Successful Teams Have A Sustainable Pace – They do not burn people out. The team’s closer, Craig Kimbrel, has appeared in a very manageable 67 games. Kimbrel has pitched three consecutive days only once this season. Additionally, he has worked four out of five days only twice this year.
- Highly Successful Teams Have Sustainable Excellence – Kimbrel has currently converted 23 consecutive save appearances this year.
- Highly Successful Teams Have Star Players Who Produce Quality Results – For example, Mookie Betts is currently leading the league with a .350 batting average. Martinez is on pace aver over 130 RBIs this year. Dombrowski says, “They’re star players who take the pressure off other people to make things happen.”
What is one thing you learned from this year’s Boston Red Sox team which would make you a better organization?
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