April 2017, Managers
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Bob Copyright © 2017 by Robert D. Behn Behn’s Performance Leadership Report An occasional (and maybe even insightful) examination of the issues, dilemmas, challenges, and opportunities for improving performance and producing real results in public agencies. “What were they thinking?” On why, if “winning” for a public manager means driving up results, Vol. 14, No. 8, April 2017 Managers Who “Win” Twice Must Know A Lot Theo Epstein knows something. ries—five different times. Yet, almost “Young Theo” its “Bostonian of the Actually, Epstein knows a lot—a lot all of the city’s baseball fans had Year.” With Boston having suffered more than all of the other people in never celebrated any of them. The last for 86 years without a baseball cham- his line of work. After all, Epstein has victory had been in 1918. pionship, “The Architect” didn’t even produced miracles both in Boston and After that championship came the have a runner up. in Chicago. As the general manager of “Curse of the Bambino.” Harry Fra- After the Cubs won their champi- a professional baseball team in each zee, who owned the Red Sox, sold onship, the team made baseball’s city, Epstein has won the sport’s Babe Ruth (the “Bambino”) to the New traditional visit to the White House, championship. York Yankees. Then, for 86 years— where President Obama noted: “Ep- In 2002, when the Boston Red Sox from 1919 through 2003—while the stein takes the reins of an organiza- chose Epstein to be its general man- Red Sox never won the World Series, tion that’s wandering in the wilder- ager, he was 28, the youngest general the Yankees did so 25 times. ness and delivers them to the prom- manager ever in the history of major Yet in 2004, just two years after ised land.” league baseball. Epstein became Boston’s general In 2017, Fortune ranked Epstein A baseball team’s general manager manager, the Red Sox won their first #1 on its list of the “World’s Greatest doesn’t catch the ball, or throw the World Series in 86 years. Leaders.” He beat out Pope Francis ball, or hit the ball. He doesn’t make To the citizens of Boston—indeed, (#3) and Angela Merkel (#10). the daily pre-game decisions about to the citizens of Red Sox Nation Yes: both the Red Sox and the who should play what position. He everywhere—this was more than just Cubs are baseball teams. The Cubs doesn’t make strategic or tactical a winning season. This ended both play in the National League while the choices during the game. the 86-year drought and “the Curse.” Red Sox play in the American League. The job of the general manager is In 2007, Boston won the World And though both leagues do play the to put together a winning team. He Series again. Then, after the 2011 game of baseball, their rules are a identifies players who can help the season, Epstein left the Red Sox to little different and thus so are their team win. He selects them, drafts take on the same basic responsibili- tactics and strategies. them, recruits them, and trades for ties for the Chicago Cubs. As the general manager of two them. He negotiates their contracts. different baseball teams—in two dif- The general manager creates a ferent leagues—Epstein has won the “team” with a balanced combination Theo Epstein has twice produced World Series. In two different circum- of the necessary and desired skills. the same big result—and in dif- stances, he has produced the same He seeks players who possess a com- ferent circumstances. This can’t big jump in results. petitive drive, who foster clubhouse be luck. Any private, nonprofit, or Those public managers who drive comradery and who are team leaders. public manager who produces a up performance in two different orga- The general manager also selects the significant jump in results in two nizations are not simply lucky. Once, field manager and coaches. different situations must know sure. We can dismiss them as lucky. During a game, however, the gen- something—many somethings. But, if they do it twice—particularly if eral manager does not run the team. they produce this “win” twice in two This is the responsibility of the field different circumstances—we cannot manager and his coaches. They train And what team did the Red Sox dismiss them as lucky. the players, select those who will start defeat in the 1918 World Series? Any manager—private, nonprofit, each game, and make personnel sub- Answer: The Chicago Cubs. Since or public—who can produce a big stitutions during a game. The field then, the Cubs had played in the jump in results in two different situa- manager and his coaches make all of World Series five times—in 1929, tions must know something—a lot of the in-game tactical decisions. 1932, 1935, 1938, and 1945. Still, somethings. d Still, a baseball team’s general Chicago had not won since 1908. By manager has much more direct re- 2011, the Cubs had gone over a cen- Robert D. Behn, a lecturer at Harvard sponsibility—including responsibility tury without a championship. University's John F. Kennedy School for the organization’s ultimate suc- To rescue the Cubs, it took Epstein of Government, chairs the executive- cess—than the HR director of most a little longer than it had in Boston. education program “Driving Govern- businesses or public agencies. But last November—after 108 years— ment Performance: Leadership Strate- When Epstein took over the Red the Chicago team that Epstein put gies that Produce Results.” His book, Sox in 2002, Boston had won base- together did win the World Series. The PerformanceStat Potential, is ball’s championship—the World Se- In 2004, The Boston Globe made available in paperback. To be sure you get next month’s issue, subscribe yourself at: http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/TheBehnReport. It’s free! For the inside secrets about Driving Government Performance, go to: http://hks.harvard.edu/EE/BehnReport..