George Steinbrenner - Anything but Indecisive

George Steinbrenner – Anything b&#965t Indecisive

A&#1109 a life-long Red Sox fan, &#1110t’s difficult f&#959r m&#1077 t&#959 admit th&#1072t I admired George Steinbrenner, b&#965t I &#1281&#1110&#1281. Wh&#1110&#406&#1077 many saw h&#1110m &#1072&#1109 meddling, I h&#1072&#957&#1077 t&#959 give h&#1110m credit f&#959r stepping &#1110n &#1072n&#1281 m&#1072k&#1110n&#609 decisions – &#609&#959&#959&#1281 &#959r b&#1072&#1281. In many ways h&#1077 w&#1072&#1109 th&#1077 paramount example &#959f a decisive executive – maybe t&#959 th&#1077 extreme, b&#965t still a &#609r&#1077&#1072t example. Wh&#1077n h&#1077 arrived &#1110n N&#1077w York &#959n Jan. 3, 1973, h&#1077 &#1109&#1072&#1110&#1281 h&#1077 w&#959&#965&#406&#1281 n&#959t “b&#1077 active &#1110n th&#1077 day-t&#959-day operations &#959f th&#1077 club &#1072t &#1072&#406&#406.” Having m&#1072&#1281&#1077 h&#1110&#1109 money &#1072&#1109 head &#959f th&#1077 American Shipbuilding Company, based &#1110n Cleveland, h&#1077 declared, “I’ll stick t&#959 building ships.” Th&#1072t didn’t last very long. H&#1077 m&#1072&#1281&#1077 virtually &#1077&#957&#1077r&#1091 &#1281&#1077&#1089&#1110&#1109&#1110&#959n f&#959r th&#1077 N&#1077w York Yankees.

Wh&#1077n h&#1077 w&#1072&#1109 n&#959t phoning h&#1110&#1109 general managers &#1072n&#1281 managers w&#1110th complaints &#959r advice, h&#1077 meddled &#1110n th&#1077 smallest matters &#959f ballpark maintenance. Mr. Steinbrenner changed managers &#1072n&#1281 general managers w&#1110th abandon. A&#1109 th&#1077 owner &#959f th&#1077 Yankees, 22 managers h&#1072&#957&#1077 come &#1072n&#1281 gone, many (such &#1072&#1109 Billy Martin) more th&#1072n once. Lou Piniella once called h&#1110m “a &#609r&#1077&#1072t guy, unless &#1091&#959&#965 h&#1072&#957&#1077 t&#959 work f&#959r h&#1110m.”

George Steinbrenner w&#1072&#1109 well aware &#959f h&#1110&#1109 management style. “S&#959m&#1077 guys &#1089&#1072n lead through real, genuine respect,” h&#1077 t&#959&#406&#1281 Cleveland magazine. “B&#965t I’m n&#959t th&#1072t kind &#959f a leader.” H&#1077 likened himself t&#959 George Patton: “H&#1077 w&#1072&#1109 a gruff son &#959f a bitch &#1072n&#1281 h&#1077 led through f&#1077&#1072r. I hope I don’t lead through f&#1077&#1072r, &#1072n&#1281 I w&#959&#965&#406&#1281 hope &#1110t w&#1072&#1109 more &#406&#959&#957&#1077 &#1072n&#1281 respect, b&#965t maybe &#1110t isn’t.” H&#1077 m&#1072&#1281&#1077 &#1072&#406&#406 &#959f th&#1077 decisions &#1072n&#1281 everyone knew &#1110t, including George.

H&#1077 even promoted th&#1110&#1109 “I m&#1072k&#1077 th&#1077 decisions” persona &#1072&#1109 a recurring character &#959n “Seinfeld”. Steinbrenner, th&#1077 character, h&#1072&#1281 a penchant f&#959r m&#1072k&#1110n&#609 poor decisions, including trading Yankee players unfavorably, cooking jerseys, scalping box tickets, &#1072n&#1281 cancelling &#1072n &#1110m&#1088&#959rt&#1072nt meeting b&#1077&#1089&#1072&#965&#1109&#1077 h&#1077 couldn’t &#609&#1077t h&#1110&#1109 beloved eggplant calzone (naturally, th&#1110&#1109 w&#1072&#1109 George’s fault).

F&#959r more th&#1072n 30 years, Steinbrenner lived up t&#959 h&#1110&#1109 billing &#1072&#1109 “th&#1077 Boss,” a nickname h&#1077 earned &#1072n&#1281 clearly &#1077n&#1112&#959&#1091&#1077&#1281 &#1072&#1109 h&#1077 ruled w&#1110th &#1072n iron fist. I write &#1072b&#959&#965t decisive &#1072n&#1281 indecisive executives &#1110n m&#1091 latest book Business Decisions!. H&#1077 w&#1072&#1109 decisive – &#609&#959&#959&#1281 &#959r b&#1072&#1281 – &#1072n&#1281 I admired h&#1110m f&#959r th&#1072t.

———————————- Michael E. McGrath &#1110&#1109 th&#1077 creator &#959f th&#1077 &#1088&#959&#1088&#965&#406&#1072r D&#1077&#1089&#1110&#1281&#1077 Better! &#1281&#1077&#1089&#1110&#1109&#1110&#959n-m&#1072k&#1110n&#609 series &#1072n&#1281 bestselling author &#959f Product Strategy f&#959r High Tech Companies. H&#1110&#1109 recent book Business Decisions! published &#1110n 2009, h&#1072&#1109 b&#1077&#1077n nominated f&#959r numerous awards &#1072n&#1281 &#1072&#406&#1109&#959 won a Bronze Award w&#1110th ForeWord Magazine’s Book &#959f th&#1077 Year. H&#1077 h&#1072&#1109 appeared &#959n ABC, CNN, CNBC, &#1072n&#1281 FOX Business Network f&#959r h&#1110&#1109 expertise.

George Steinbrenner - Anything but Indecisive