They told me my services were no longer desired because they wanted to put in a youth program as an advance way of keeping the club going. I'll never make the mistake of being seventy again.
~Casey Stengel
As the weather turns colder, VIM Executive Coaching awaits two events, one with a “trepidation” and the other with delight: the first significant snow storm (with lots of shoveling) followed by the casual, rather quiet sporting news statement that major league pitchers and catchers are about to report to spring training.
For baseball, among all sports, awakens us to the prospect of a whole new 2024 season and all kinds of possibilities for success in the new year. The optimism at the dawn of a new season is a delightful reminder of what is possible.
How does this relate to executive coaching? Surprisingly, it relates quite well, but first let’s consider the connected quote by Casey Stengel.
He was fired by his beloved New York Yankees in 1960. They told him he was washed-up, kaput! He had turned 70, too old, and the Yankees wanted a younger manager (insert: a younger executive leader, if you would like).
Meet the Mets
The “problem” was that Casey Stengel did not consider himself washed-up. He believed he had something to offer. And yes, he was a character of mythic proportion, and always good for a quote, but he could manage and there was no question he loved the game (insert: as an executive, he loved his work and the people he worked with, if you would like).
There was a new team in town, that would be named the New York Mets. The Mets were a total clown show: ragtag players, underachieving players and a management that was in it for the money, not for baseball. Who did they resurrect as their manager? Casey Stengel, past 70, a man always good for a quote. He was tasked with creating a baseball team from nothing (insert: as a mindful executive, he had no delusion his “organization” lacked the tools, but he determined his response would be to innovate and develop).
Of course, it was a set-up. He managed the Mets for 3-1/2 seasons and though they finished dead last in the division each season, it should be noted that each year the performance was improving. He retired near 75.
The point is he never stopped taking himself seriously. The year after he was forced to retire due to an injury, the team climbed out of the basement, the players had by then improved, the farm teams were doing better, and the fans started to take them with a measure of respectability.
A Friend of Ours
A friend of ours, an executive leader whom we coached, assumed a new management position late into his career (insert: Casey Stengel, if you will). The interim CEO was not shy in telling our client that the company was positioning itself to be acquired, and it had been consistently failing.
As our client described the new challenge he added, “Here I am with all this gray hair, a sore shoulder, and after this new bridge, I can’t whistle anymore!” Then added, “But you know what? I’m happy!”
Indeed, our client, against all odds, started to turn the company around.
Long after Casey Stengel retired, former players and managers were surprisingly uniform in describing Stengel’s attitude: he was always happy.
No matter age or challenge or even those around you who might believe you are certain to fail, please be mindful in listening to your inner voice. You can still whistle, you can still contribute, you are filled with greatness.