The Working Genius of Major League Baseball’s Managers

How do all 30 MLB managers fit into Patrick Lencioni's model of working genius?

By cmezzy | | | Comments count:0
PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 15: Manager Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers speaks to the media during the Spring Training Cactus League Media Day at Arizona Biltmore on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

At the halfway point of the season, it’s only fair we take a good look at the managers of all of the teams. There is no perfect manager in the business world, and professional baseball is no different.

To look at the managers at the helm for each team, it was necessary to bring in leadership literature, and that pointed me to a model created by Patrick Lencioni. This model (and book) is called The 6 Types of Working Genius.

Understanding this model and the six types is crucial to digesting my critique of each team’s pilot. Before we dive into it, this tag of “genius” attaches credibility to all the managers. To be a manager in Major League Baseball, you have to be good at something, so in my eyes, they are all geniuses. This model will help decide what type of genius they happen to be, and that’s where I spent the time selecting one of the six types for each manager.

The Six Types

  • The Genius of Wonder – Your natural gift is seeing potential and pondering the possibilities.
  • The Genius of Invention – Your natural gift is viewing ideas and creating original solutions.
  • The Genius of Discernment – Your natural gift is intuitively and instinctively assessing ideas.
  • The Genius of Galvanizing – Your natural gift is rallying others to take action.
  • The Genius of Enablement – Your natural gift is providing encouragement to bring ideas to life.
  • The Genius of Tenacity – Your natural gift is pushing ideas to achieve results.

    So, let’s see how it looks:
TeamManagerGenius Type
Arizona DiamondbacksTorey LovulloGenius of Invention
Atlanta BravesBrian SnitkerGenius of Enablement
Baltimore OriolesBrandon HydeGenius of Discernment
Boston Red SoxAlex CoraGenius of Galvanizing
Chicago CubsDavid RossGenius of Galvanizing
Chicago White SoxPedro GrifolGenius of Wonder
Cincinnati RedsDavid BellGenius of Discernment
Cleveland GuardiansTerry FranconaGenius of Enablement
Colorado RockiesBud BlackGenius of Enablement
Detroit TigersA.J. HinchGenius of Wonder
Houston AstrosDusty BakerGenius of Galvanizing
Kansas City RoyalsMatt QuatraroGenius of Galvanizing
Los Angeles AngelsPhil NevinGenius of Wonder
Los Angeles DodgersDave RobertsGenius of Discernment
Miami MarlinsSkip SchumakerGenius of Discernment
Milwaukee BrewersCraig CounsellGenius of Wonder
Minnesota TwinsRocco BaldelliGenius of Discernment
New York MetsBuck ShowalterGenius of Tenacity
New York YankeesAaron BooneGenius of Tenacity
Oakland AthleticsMark KotsayGenius of Wonder
Philadelphia PhilliesRob ThomsonGenius of Galvanizing
Pittsburgh PiratesDerek SheltonGenius of Enablement
San Diego PadresBob MelvinGenius of Discernment
San Francisco GiantsGabe KaplerGenius of Invention
Seattle MarinersScott ServaisGenius of Wonder
St. Louis CardinalsOliver MarmolGenius of Galvanizing
Tampa Bay RaysKevin CashGenius of Invention
Texas RangersBruce BochyGenius of Tenacity
Toronto Blue JaysJohn SchneiderGenius of Wonder
Washington NationalsDave MartinezGenius of Tenacity

Thirty managers, six types of genius. There you have it. Who would you change and why?

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