Lead Me Out to the Ballgame: Stories and Strategies to Develop Major League Leadership

by Howard C. Fero, Rebecca L. Herman

"Strike 3 - you're out"
"Ball 4 - take your base"
"Out of the park...homerun!"

It's all pretty cut and dry in baseball. The umpire makes a call, and for better or worse, that's the way it is (well, maybe a review here and there!). With leadership however, rules aren't quite as clear cut...there isn't always one right call to make, there isn't always one strategy to employ, and there isn't always only one person who makes the call. Leadership is a process which, to be utilized successfully, requires an understanding of some basic tenets, or, as we call them, Bases of Leadership.

•How do Major League Baseball managers gain the trust and respect of their players?
•How do Major League Baseball managers overcome challenges on and off the field?
•How do Major League Baseball managers motivate a diverse team?
•How do Major League Baseball managers successfully communicate their vision?
•How do Major League Baseball managers create a winning culture?
•How can managers, executives, and people at all levels lead like Major League Baseball managers?

In Lead Me Out to the Ballgame Dr. Howard Fero and Dr. Rebecca Herman take the reader on a tour through a majority of the Major League Baseball clubhouses and share stories from managers such as Joe Maddon (Tampa Bay Rays), Bob Melvin (Oakland A's), John Farrell (Boston Red Sox), Ron Washington (Texas Rangers), Davey Johnson (Washington Nationals), Don Mattingly (Los Angeles Dodgers), and more, about the ways they lead their teams. In Lead Me Out to the Ballgame the reader will learn from the managers words how they create a winning team, a winning culture, and a team full of players who want to play for them. Lead Me Out to the Ballgame includes the perspectives of over one hundred MLB players, managers, executives, and members of the media, and uses the stories they shared to illustrate what makes a manager effective and a manager who the players want in their clubhouse.

•How did Terry Francona, David Ortiz's manager on the Boston Red Sox in 2009, help him break out of a slump?
•What does All Star Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays think are the most important qualities of a Major League manager?
•How do players like Carl Pavano (Minnesota Twins), Pablo Sandoval (San Francisco Giants), Adam LaRoche (Washington Nationals,) and others feel that lightheartedness and fun factor into a successful clubhouse?

Lead Me Out to the Ballgame is filled with the answers to these questions, and many more. This leadership book is written for all those who want to develop their leadership skills, and especially those who have at least a passing interest in America's greatest past time! It shows people at all levels, and in all industries, how to lead like a Major League Manager and develop Major League Leadership.

**A portion of proceeds from the sale of this book goes to the Strike 3 Foundation (www.strike3foundation.org) and the fight against childhood cancer**

228 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2014

About the author

For over twenty years, Dr. Howard Fero, The Leadership Doc, has inspired and educated leaders through stories, exercises, and the application of theory to practice. Dr. Fero holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Claremont Graduate University and has focused his research and practice in the areas of leadership, motivation, and team dynamics. Through his work as a speaker, facilitator, consultant, executive coach, and professor, Dr. Fero, has inspired and educated countless leaders in the business, non-profit, government, and law enforcement sectors to cultivate their leadership and have an even greater impact on their teams.

Dr. Fero is the author of Leadership in 5G: Practical Strategies for Individual, Team, and Organizational Success and The Leadership in 5G Companion Workbook: 50 Exercises to Upgrade Your Leadership. He is also the co-author of Lead Me Out to the Ballgame: Stories and Strategies to Develop Major League Leadership, in which he and his co-author interviewed over 100 Major League Baseball players, managers, and executives, to determine how we, outside of the game, can lead our teams to success.

An accomplished speaker and facilitator, Dr. Fero incorporates the stories and strategies from his books, book chapters, articles, and experience, to present inspiring, engaging, and practical keynotes and workshops. For more information you can follow him on social media and find his website @theleadershipdoc.