Trending in major league baseball, hiring recently retired players as managers with no management experience but plenty of emotional intelligence. What I found so compelling about this article was the shift in mindset and skills that are viewed as desirable in the front office. Never Managed? You’re Hired!
“Teams don’t want a seasoned, master tactician anymore so much as they want a manager with a small ego and an open mind.”
“Today, the younger manager does a better job in the way of delegating and letting his coaches coach.”
“Whether it’s working with the front office or coaches, teams aren’t seeking strong personalities anymore so much as they’re looking for humble collaborators.”
“Perhaps the most important strength for the job now: connecting with players.”
I wasn’t expecting to receive a lesson in leadership reading the sports page. Apparently, the days of command and control leadership is giving way to more self-aware enlighten leadership that focuses on building relationships to achieve results.
I’ll be curious to learn how these new managers fare over the next few years. Hopefully, these newbies will get some training (or executive coaching) to help them fully develop their leadership skills.
What do you think of this trend?