I am re-posting this blog in preparation for my next few posts that will relate to the book Moneyball and because I think this post and those to come belong in my “Stats Lie” series. This was originally posted on October 8th, 2011.
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My wife and I pulled off a miracle and actually went to a movie together this weekend. We hit Moneyball which came on the recommendation of several folks.
I really enjoyed the movie. I’m a baseball fan and I lived in the Bay Area during the time frame in which this movie covers so I saw some games and first hand lived through a lot of the media coverage of the events. One of the best part of the movie was seeing its portrayal of the dramatic 20th win in the record breaking win streak. I watched that game and Hatteberg’s game winning home run after blowing a monstrous lead was one of my more memorable sports moments to watch or live through.
But here’s some systems insights that I thought the movie illustrates through the baseball context so as to connect the movie to the themes I often post on..
First, cultures adapt certain ways of measuring greatness or effectiveness. It doesn’t mean that people who don’t fit that grid or standard aren’t effective or successful. It means there’s an accepted criteria for what’s successful and to go outside of that threatens the establishment and generates a lot of anxiety for folks in the “system” whatever type of system it might be. People want the “sure thing” when evaluating talent and doing leadership or talent selection, but often they settle for what feels safest to them – which leans often on tradition and cultural norms.
Second, if you do step outside the criteria endorsed by the establishment and manage to endure the ridicule, resistance, or even hostility, and actually succeed….then many of those people who made life hard for you when you were trying to be original and think differently and meet the demands of reality will come full circle and want your help or start copying what you are doing. Beane started a revolution in the baseball world and changed the landscape of his profession, but it took a lot of nerve and passion and maybe some desperation too in order to do it.
But this is a cycle that comes with creativity and cutting edge leadership efforts. You either get honored in the end, or people indirectly affirm what you’ve done by hijacking your stuff and copy you with or without giving you credit, or you fail and you get hung out to dry. Not a lot of middle ground here when trying to boldly lead outside of the norm. No matter what happens – it’s still worth leading towards reality in new and innovative ways.
Third, as one of the key lines of the movie illustrates, “It’s gotta mean something.” I think the movie captures one of the tensions often experienced. Do you keep chasing numbers and goals? That’s a bottomless pit, even when one considers a ministry context. What we do and how we go about it reflects a lot about who we are and who we want to be. Meaning is often assumed in leadership and even in faith contexts, but something that we continually have to enter into and not just assume that because our goals and objectives are significant that meaning will be embedded in our experience of what we’re doing.
On a personal note, my wife paid me a compliment after the movie. She said the main character reminded her of me. I appreciated that because I value courage in leadership and honest assessments of reality and bold efforts to go to the heart of the issue. What I do has to be meaningful in terms of its impact on people and not just in the cliche or standards that are reflected in traditional metrics. But if I’m honest I personally relate more to the assistant GM in the movie who is the awkward and insecure, yet smart and innovative guy behind the scenes who people don’t always listen to. He sees the landscape with different eyes, but the landscape doesn’t see him. I enjoyed watching his story illustrated in the movie. It doesn’t mean that’s who in fact I am in reality, it’s just that there are elements to his experience I relate to at times (but without the genius piece).
One of my values has been to try to identify folks who I think see the landscape they are in for what it is and not for what people want it to be. Those are the people I want to platform and invest my time in as a leader. Moneyball is a lot about metrics, but what got the ball rolling was one leader finding the right person to listen to and partner with in a time where radical change was needed.
If you saw it – what did you think? About the movie in general? About leading innovative change?
