This morning Chris Woodward was introduced as the new manager of the Texas Rangers. As is the trend in Major League Baseball right now, Mr. Woodward looks to fit the mold of the “new age” manager; a manager that embodies buzz words like: energy, young, metrics, statcast, player’s manager, etc. While watching Mr. Woodward’s press conference this morning I was struck by his response to a reporter’s question (17:38-20:19) regarding the evolving player-manager dynamic in MLB, and for what its worth, a trending relationship dynamic that applies to all team-based sports at most levels of play.
In what feels like an age of narcissism, it’s refreshing to hear a coach speak about the importance of being an ego-less leader. Mr. Woodward also addressed his stance on a close player-manager relationship and the nuances of those relationships. As a coach myself I have no doubt that being an ego-less leader is the only way that you can foster meaningful and respectful relationships with your players and coaches; they are dependent on each other.
After watching his presser, listening to his rhetoric and getting a glimpse into his coaching style, I’d be more than O.K. with my son or daughter (at any age) learning to be an ego-less player from this ego-less leader.
All the best to you and your family Mr. Woodward and congratulations on the new gig. I pray that this new position affords your even more opportunities to LIFT the players and coaches around you.