Bo Porter - Leadership Secrets from Major League Baseball

In this episode, Bo Porter will coach you on Leadership Secrets from Major League Baseball and how they relate to real life issues.

Bo Porter’s Bio

Bo Porter is currently the special assistant to GM and former third base/outfield and baserunning coach for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball. Bo was also the manager of the Huston Astros.

Bo drafted for the Cubs in 1993.

He played for the Cubs, Oakland A’s and the Texas Rangers. He was also a coach for the Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves.

At the age of 39, Porter was named Manager of the Houston Astros making him the youngest manager in MLB history and was named special assistant general manager of the Atlanta Braves in 2016.

Bo Porter is the founder and chairman of the board for the Stacey and Bo Porter Self Foundation, founding president of Real Excellence inc, CEO of Bo Porter Enterprises and author of two books; Real Life Empowered and The End Game.

Episode Summary

In this episode, you will learn

* [0:03:33] How to handle being ejected from something you are passionate about.

* [0:07:09] How to use your passion to go for it in business.

* [0:10:46]  In the case of leadership, how do you balance between the person’s emotions and they’re dealing with the facts to go out and help them to get better and not really get comfortable with where they are?

* [0:13:57] Self-leadership and self-honesty.

* [ 0:24:44] How important it is to have the right people in conjunction with having the right leaders.

* [0:35:05] How to operate in order to make sure you remain the best you can be.

* [0:56:15] How to handle being laid off and bouncing back from there.

* [1:00:34] How quitting is never an acceptable action.

Some advice from Bo.

* Sport is an institution of higher learning.

* Develop fortitude, be willing to adapt, use your imagination to dream big.

* Discipline in all areas of your life is the common denominator to real excellence.

* Enthusiasm is a choice that should be made daily.

On Getting Ejected From Games

(2:10-5:10) Porter explains how getting ejected from a game relates to getting rejected in life from something you’re passionate about. He explains that passion is his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. He says you have to understand the situation. In this instance, as an MLB manager, a sort of father figure or protector of the 25 men on the team that he has been charged to lead, you have to stand up for your players. You have to make them feel protected. Which means sometimes taking a bullet to show the team and the league that you have to stand up for what’s right.

(5:10-9:25) One of the most important aspects of being a leader is you have to connect with the people you are charged to lead. There will come a time when you have to engage and the engagement can become confrontational but if you take the time to connect, a relationship can form. Having emotional sensitivity, especially in business, can help you get your point across without creating conflict. No matter the setting, at the end of the day, it’s about relationships and interactions with people.

Expanding Your Comfort Zones

(9:25-12:35) Expanding outside of our comfort zone is where growth really happens. Understanding your job as a leader is paramount. Being a great leader is making sure everyone you’ve been charged with reaches their potential. You have to look at skillsets, ability to deal with success and failure and come up with how to collectively best motivate your team. Leadership is not about the title it’s about the actions you take to help people reach their full potential.

(12:35-19:15) As a leader, you have to show your team that you care more about them than you do about yourself.