Leadership Lessons from the DugOut

Effective leadership—in both sports and business, —requires more than understanding the overall dynamics of a group. It demands the ability to recognize and adapt to the unique needs, personalities, and motivations of each individual. Just as every team has its own collective identity, every person on that team brings their own background, communication style, and emotional makeup to the table. Successful leaders take this into account and tailor their approach accordingly.

In baseball , for example, you quickly learn that what works for one player may not work for another. Some players respond well to direct, even blunt, feedback—they appreciate the clarity and rise to the challenge. Others may shut down or lose confidence if approached the same way. The art of coaching, then, lies in knowing who needs a push and who needs support, who benefits from space to fail and learn, and who needs guidance before mistakes are made. The same principle applies to leading teams in the workplace. I always recognize this during “mound visits”—when the pitcher might be struggling or needs to rest the coach goes for a visit. I always tried to learn exactly how to help that pitcher respond. Sometimes it was direct and to the point sometimes it was with a joke. Knowing which pitcher needed what is the key.

In the corporate world, understanding how to treat individuals isn’t about favoritism or lowering standards—it’s about helping each person perform at their best. Some employees thrive with autonomy; others excel with structure. Some value public recognition; others prefer quiet validation. Leaders who take time to learn these preferences build stronger trust, increase engagement, and drive better performance across the board.

Of course, this kind of individualization takes effort. It requires observation, listening, and a willingness to ask questions. But the payoff is significant. When people feel seen and understood, they’re more likely to commit, collaborate, and contribute meaningfully to shared goals.

Adapting your style isn’t about being inconsistent—it’s about being intentional. It’s about showing respect for the differences that make each person valuable. Great leaders don’t treat everyone the same; they treat everyone with the same level of care, curiosity, and commitment. That’s what unlocks potential—one individual at a time.

5. Knowing When to Trust the Data—and When to Trust Your Gut

In both baseball and the professional world, the amount of data available to us has grown exponentially. Metrics, analytics, dashboards, and reports offer insights into everything from performance trends to individual behaviors. For coaches, players, people managers, and business leaders, this data can be incredibly useful, but also overwhelming—and t it’s not always definitive. The real challenge lies in knowing when to lean on the data, and when to trust your instincts.

Take baseball, for example. A manager might have a spreadsheet or an iPad full of stats showing unfavorable pitcher-hitter matchups. The data may say it’s time to pull the pitcher. But maybe the manager sees something else—the pitcher’s body language, his rhythm, the confidence he’s showing on the mound. Maybe he’s locked in. Letting him stay in, even against the statistical odds, might not just win you the inning—it might earn the player’s long-term trust and elevate the culture of your team. Sometimes it won’t work out. But part of leadership is owning those calls and recognizing that people aren’t robots, and performance isn’t always predictable.

The same is true in the corporate world. Imagine a sales representative whose numbers are off the charts. The data says they’re performing at an elite level. But as a leader, your instincts tell you something’s off. Maybe their success is due to temporary market conditions, or perhaps the bulk of their revenue is coming from one large client that isn’t sustainable. Even though the dashboard is lighting up green, your gut is telling you to dig deeper, or maybe even consider rebalancing their territory to protect the long-term integrity of your sales strategy.

In both scenarios, the data gives you information—but it doesn’t make the decision for you. That’s your job as a leader. Data should inform your judgment, not replace it. The best leaders know how to balance the objective with the intuitive. They understand that numbers are powerful, but so is experience, human behavior, and context. They ask themselves: What is the data telling me? And just as importantly: What is it not telling me?

There’s no formula for getting this right every time. But with experience, reflection, and feedback, you sharpen your ability to discern when to follow the numbers and when to follow your gut. And over time, your “gut” becomes more than a feeling—it becomes informed intuition, shaped by everything you’ve learned along the way.

Ultimately, leadership is about making calls. Sometimes the safe bet is to follow the metrics. Other times, the right move is the one the data can’t quite see. Learning to walk that line—confidently and responsibly—is what separates good decision-makers from great ones.