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The Yankees lost game one in Yankee stadium and Steinbrenner entered Torre's office. Steinbrenner barked about game two being a must-win situation. Instead of playing the yes-man, Torre told him the truth: "You should be prepared for us to lose again tonight," (p. 16). Torre told Steinbrenner exactly what the owner did not want to hear, but he told him the truth. Many managers might have given Steinbrenner a pep talk, exactly what the owner wanted to hear. Torre did not. His honesty is an admirable trait and one that should be mirrored by any aspiring leader. A true leader understands the importance of personal integrity and forthright communications. Torre placed tremendous trust in his players, but he also earned back that trust.
Torre should also be commended for his willingness to listen to others. His leadership style is decisively inclusive. For example, in Game 5 of the World Series against the Braves -- which was Torre's first World Series -- the manager made some key lineup changes. One of those changes was to replace outfielder O'Neill. Don Zimmer consulted with Torre, telling him that doing so would be a dangerous move. Psychologically, O'Neill "would not be there mentally" if Torre had to go back to him (Torre & Verducci 2009, p. 20). Torre agreed. He called O'Neill back into his office and told him to start the game.
A lesser leader would have stubbornly stuck to his decision out of pride. Especially because it was his first appearance at a World Series, Torre was under incredible personal and professional pressure to perform. His ego could have been heavily invested in the decision-making process. In fact, it would have been understandable if he stuck to his initial lineup change. A lesser leader would have ignored...
One of the reasons why Torre was able to bring the Yankees to victory so many years in a row was because he maintained his trust-based leadership model. The Yankees went on to win Game 5 with O'Neill in the outfield. The team would also go on to win the World Series that year.
Trusting Zimmer was a transformative moment for Torre, not just because the title earned him bragging rights but also because he proved that trust-based leadership was a solid plan. Once again, Torre showed he was a man of integrity who didn't just expect others to trust him. He earned that trust through each of his interactions. Trust proved to be the key to winning games, the gel that kept together a roster of incredible players for over a decade.
Joe Torre's leadership skills were especially borne out in his relationship with Derek Jeter. Jeter and Torre shared in common an infectious positive attitude that helped motivate the team. As team captain, Jeter accomplished much of the "peer-to-peer" communications with the Yankees (Torre & Verducci 2009, p. 33). Torre admired Jeter, who he met when the shortstop was still a rookie and watched him mature into a baseball legend. Therefore, one of Torre's most outstanding qualities is his ability to recognize leadership abilities in others. Torre understands the need to empower, trust, and delegate authority to reliable members of his team. The Yankee manager cannot be faulted for the way he managed his team.
References
Torre, J. & Verducci, T. (2009). The Yankee Years. New York: Doubleday.
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