In November 2002, Theo Epstein was hired as the general manager of the Boston Red Sox. During his tenure, Epstein was credited with breaking The Curse of the Bambino as the team won the 2004 and 2007 World Series championships. These were the first World Series titles for the Red Sox since 1918 when the team traded Babe Ruth. As a result, Epstein is a true legend in the New England area.
On October 12, 2011, Epstein left the Red Sox to become the president of the Chicago Cubs.
The Boston Globe Full-Page Ad
As a sign of gratefulness to the Red Sox fans, he took out a full-page ad in The Boston Globe expressing his appreciation. The following is an excerpt from his letter:
“Beyond the results on the field, I believe the Red Sox came to stand for certain things over the last decade. Pride in the uniform. Appreciation of our history. Controlling the strike zone. Grinding at-bats. Having each other’s backs. Rising to the moment. Never backing down. Connection to the fans. Hard work. Playing with passion and urgency. These concepts were taught in the minor leagues and reinforced at the big-league level by our homegrown players by Tito (Francona), a selfless leader who always put the Red Sox first. These principles united the organization and came to define us.”
This portion of the letter is all about the culture Epstein created with the Red Sox. His thoughts give us a picture into the components of a winning culture which are the following:
13 Components Of A Winning Culture
- A Winning Culture Has Symbols – This is part of your brand. This is what people think of when they hear you or your organization’s name. Epstein said, “Pride in the uniform.” He understood it meant something to an entire region when you put on that jersey.
- A Winning Culture Has History And A Sense Of Responsibility To Those Who Came Before You – You are standing on the shoulders of others who built the foundation you now operate on. There is a responsibility implied here. Epstein added, “Appreciation of our history.”
- A Winning Culture Is Disciplined – This speaks to focus and single-mindedness. Epstein noted the expectation of the players was “Controlling the strike zone. Grinding at-bats.” Your culture is greatly impacted by the lonely work, the things which do not receive public applause, that your team does.
- A Winning Culture Has Accountability – We are our brother’s keeper. Winning cultures are not made up of individual contractors. There is a sense of mutual responsibility. Epstein said it this way, “Having each other’s backs.”
- A Winning Culture Embraces Pressure – Leaders of winning cultures understand pressure comes with winning. Welcome or not, it is one of its rewards. There is no pressure with average or below-average cultures. Jurgen Klopp, the manager of the Liverpool futball team said, “The higher you climb performance-wise, the more likely it gets you’ll have a stressful conclusion of the season.” Epstein understands this and expects the Red Sox to be “Rising to the moment.”
- A Winning Culture Is Resilient – Building a winning culture is not easy. There are constant roadblocks and challenges to overcome. Failure is a constant companion. For example, when you read Bible you will learn God never called anyone to an easy task or assignment. Therefore, a primary component of a winning culture is “Never backing down.”
- A Winning Culture Builds Community – Winning cultures are attractive and highly inclusive. People want to be a part of them. The Red Sox are a picture of the New England region. Epstein acknowledged what all baseball fans know and that is the team’s “Connection to the fans.” Klopp would agree with Epstein. He added, “We are not alone on this planet and we should not be alone in a futbol stadium.”
- A Winning Culture Works Hard, Very Hard – Hard work works. You cannot have a winning team without it. Laziness is not present in winning cultures. It is simply not tolerated. Basketball announcer and former coach Jeff Van Gundy says, “Your best player has to set a tone of intolerance for anything that gets in the way of winning.” Epstein did not want this to be assumed. He proclaimed the Red Sox will be characterized by “Hard work.”
- A Winning Culture Is Easily Recognizable. It Has Passion And Urgency. – Passion is many things but ultimately it is owning the result. Passion also has a sense of immediacy. This was indicative of the Red Sox during the Epstein era. He expected the team to be “Playing with passion and urgency.”
- A Winning Culture Is Continually Reinforced At All Levels Of The Organization By The Language It Uses – Your culture will develop either by default or design. The tenants of your organization must be taught, modeled, and repeated over and over again. Epstein said, “These concepts were taught in the minor leagues and reinforced at the big-league level by our homegrown players.”
- A Winning Culture Is A Picture Of The Leader – Your culture is the length and shadow of a single individual – the leader. If you want a better culture, get a better leader and the Red Sox had a great one. Epstein added to the previous statement by recognizing the team’s manager, “These concepts were taught in the minor leagues and reinforced at the big-league level by our homegrown players by Tito (Francona), a selfless leader who always put the Red Sox first.”
- A Winning Culture Unites Your Organization – Epstein concluded, “These principles united the organization.” That’s what winning cultures do. They bring people together and create a sense of togetherness.
- A Winning Culture Defines Your Organization – Epstein concluded, “and came to define us.”
The Aftermath
Epstein is one of the great culture builders of all-time. As president of the 2016 Chicago Cubs, he led the team to its first World Series championship in 108 years removing the Curse of the Billy Goat.
For quality resources on winning cultures, check out The Top 12 Sports Books On Building Winning Cultures.
As you read this Baker’s Dozen lessons of winning cultures provided to us by Epstein, you cannot help but analyze your organization through this lens. What did you discover and what are your subsequent next steps?
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