With three World Series titles to his name, Tony La Russa is widely considered one of the best managers in Major League Baseball history. He’s spent 33 years as a manager, currently for the Chicago White Sox and previously with the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals. A member of baseball’s Hall of Fame, Tony ranks 2nd all-time in wins among big league managers. In our conversation today, we talk about his relentless approach to preparation, building a strong team culture, and how to inspire greatness in others.
Follow Tony: Twitter | Facebook
Show Notes
- What it takes to sustain success (1:22)
- The importance of locker room leadership (4:23)
- His approach to maximizing talent (5:35)
- Commit to compete (8:33)
- Tony’s leadership approach (10:23)
- Why he decided to unretire and return as a manager (13:50)
- What he learned when he moved to the front office (16:29)
- How his leadership style has evolved over six decades in the game (19:50)
- Balancing analytics and game experience – preparation (23:11)
- Changing the culture inside a clubhouse (24:50)
- How to get someone to embrace their chance to be great (28:07)
- Is it harder to build a winning culture or keep it? (29:00)
- What separates the best from the rest (33:56)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Chicago White Sox
- Oakland Athletics
- St. Louis Cardinals
- MLB Hall of Fame
- John McNamara, MLB manager
- David Eckstein, MLB player
- George Kissell, MLB manager
- Dick Williams, MLB manager
- Tiger Woods, golfer
- Albert Pujols, MLB player
- Michael Jordan, NBA
- Lou Holtz, football coach
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Joe Maddon on Why Leaders Must Think Outside the Box
- Buck Showalter on Leadership Lessons from the Dugout
- Dansby Swanson on How to Improve Your Mental Approach
Thanks for checking out Game Changers with Molly Fletcher. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app and leave a rating or review!