Thank you and goodbye Manny Ramirez, and what the Red Sox can teach business owners about “team”?

Wow! Arguably Manny Ramirez is one of the greatest hitters in the game. Certainly a future Hall of Famer. Absolutely one of the reasons the Red Sox won two Word Series in four years. Currently hitting better or at least as well as ever……and the Red Sox traded him away while in contention for another pennant and possible world series run this year!

How could this be?

I was listening to Adam Lipkowitz’s radio sports talk show on 1550 AM WNTN  7:00 PM to 8:00 PM Thursdays, and agree with him completely, “I would have traded Manny for a bag of baseballs” said Adam. Adam gets it.

Theo Epstein, General Manager of the Red Sox, made an extremely difficult but absolutely correct decision and I applaud him for not only being a brilliant baseball strategist, but also an excellent business manager. He made the exact right decision at a very difficult moment and he has done this before. He is the man.

The title of this entry could have been, Theo Epstein, manager of the decade.

Theo gets it. Bill Belechek manager of the Superbowl Champions New England Patriots gets it. Doc Rivers, manager of the World Champion Boston Celtics gets it…..and we as small business owners can learn allot from these brilliant and successful managers as they all understand the most important element in attaining victory. Long term victory, not a splash in the pan but all the way victory, the best there is victory, World Championship victory.

In a word they all understand that to be a world class champion, “team” is more important then individual performance. Its about the team winning and individual participants, even superstars, must be willing to sacrifice their own “needs” FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE TEAMS SUCCESS.

Any individual on a team, no matter how great a star he may be, who thinks he and his performance is more important then the team and who will not accept selflessness and personal sacrifice for the benefit of the team in support of team victory is a detriment to the team and will prevent victory rather then help make it happen.

Theo made the same heart wrenching decision with Nomar Garciapara and upon trading him away, the Red Sox won the World series in 2004.

Theo may have accomplished the same goal with this blockbuster trade.

It was extremely clear that Manny was all about Manny, not the team. He played for Manny when he wanted to, if he wanted to, and as he wanted to. He never hustled down the first base line trying to beat out every throw…as he should. He occasionally did not feel like playing so he did not. He always talked trade every year as if he was more important then the team. He fought with other players and staff on the Red Sox, He would show up late and leave early on occasion. It was all about Manny being Manny.

With this attitude it was impossible for the Red Sox to come together this year and play and win as a team, thus even with great individual performers, the Red Sox were not recently playing as a successful team and were losing games they should have and could have won.The team was nonfunctional as a cohesive unit.

Manny said during the past few days, the Red Sox did not deserve him…Well once again Manny revealed what he was all about. Manny got it wrong and Theo got it right. It was Manny who did not deserve the Red Sox and now he will play for another team who will soon learn how much more important team is over individual success and self importance.

Let him go to the Hall Fame wearing another team jersey, He was never really on the Red Sox…he merely wore their uniform and used them as a place for his brilliant but individual performance.

Phil Jackson, past manager of the Chicago Bulls when Michael Jordan played for them explained how he would not have won a championship even with the greatest player the game has ever seen and a tremendous cast of exceptional supporters until Michael Jordan understood that they could only win with a team effort not individual performance, even his, and once Michael understood that, explains Phil, the team pulled together and was unstoppable. Michael learned to sacrifice himself for the benefit of the teams performance and to thus achieve the goal…winning. It required his personal sacrifice for team success but that was the goal, team success.

Thank you Theo, for being the exceptional manager that you are and making the difficult decision when required.

Goodbye Manny, hello team. Now maybe we can think hello world series 2008!

Yes Adam, I agree, even for a bag of balls, I too would have traded one of the greatest hitters the game has seen.

What does all this mean to a small business owner?

Is your business run as a team or is it based on individual performance?

Is your all star running the team or is he part of a team effort?

Theo, Bill, Doc, Phil, Adam all get it, do you?

Call me if you need help. 413-549-2966