Twins Video
As previously discussed, there are many different ways people think about leaders. Some like to identify personal traits, while others look more into behaviors. In truth, leadership isn’t a blanket idea. Instead, it’s pretty contextual—in the biz, we call it a contingency leadership theory. Some people are good leaders in one situation but not in others.
A drill sergeant may be a good leader in basic training, but that doesn’t mean they would have a leadership style that works as the dean of a school of arts. Sports fans often like to differentiate between leaders based on whether they’re vocal leaders or leaders by example. However, the difference in leadership styles between a good leader in basic training and an art school dean can’t be boiled down to vocal versus example.
In truth, there’s no perfect way to conceptualize any leader or measure their inherent leaderiness (yes, I made that word up). However, there is a straightforward way that I have in mind to capture leadership styles with some nuance.
Michael Mumford of the University of Oklahoma published a book in 2006, culminating almost a century of leadership research. He posited that there are three broad forms of leadership, each with its own strengths and weaknesses: charismatic, ideological, and pragmatic. Although these leadership styles are often applied to leaders of organizations and periods of change, the styles can also appear in more base-level leaders.
I promise we’re returning to Carlos Correa (and some pretty pictures) soon. First, I want to explain what the three leadership styles mean. Charismatic leaders are compelling, and they lead others to rally behind them. Typically they inspire more energy and effort, raising everyone’s spirit—the rah-rah guys. The focus on today’s game is just one step toward the championship down the road.
Ideological leaders harken back to shared beliefs and sometimes a return to how things used to be. In baseball, that could mean playing the game the right way (take that however you will) or getting back to fundamentals. If the leader’s vision of the right way aligns with others on the team, they might become obedient to the leader and follow their example—but the visions have to match.
Pragmatic leaders focus more on problem-solving than any emotional work and more on the here and now than transformational charismatic leaders or backward-looking ideological leaders. A pragmatic baseball leader would be focused on driving improvement—things like working on swing mechanics or helping get teammates focused on the task at hand.
Now, let’s look at how this theory of leadership can and has manifested within the Twins. I will briefly describe four players who were, to one degree or another, seen as leaders over the last few years: Byron Buxton, Nelson Cruz, Josh Donaldson, and Correa. Please note that, as an outsider, I don’t have access to how these players genuinely behave in the clubhouse; I’m just going off public perception to illustrate my point.
Buxton appears to be very high on the charismatic style, providing excitement and energy, and is often seen as the team’s heartbeat. He doesn’t seem to be very high on the ideological style, and he likely has some pragmatism to him, but first and foremost, he’s an energy guy wanting to drive the team emotionally.
In contrast, someone like Cruz is more of a pragmatic leader, providing a lot of mentorship to younger players and helping the team improve, take care of themselves, and stay on-task daily. He also never struck me as much of an ideological leader, and he had some charismatic tendencies, attracting a crowd that followed his lead, but he wasn’t much of a high-energy guy.
Then we get to Donaldson, who was probably seen as more of a leader by the organization than by his teammates. He certainly worked with his teammates who were seeking help and gave them advice, which suggests some pragmatism. He is the most ideological of the four, wanting his teammates to play the right way. However, he didn’t do much to be a leader that players rallied around (sometimes the opposite).
Finally, we have Correa, who is at least moderately high in all facets. First, he’s pragmatic, spending a lot of time helping teammates improve. Second, he’s the face of the clubhouse, and he brings energy. Probably not as much as Buxton, but he’s at least the number two guy in that regard, always with an eye on being a champion. He’s probably also somewhat ideological, as evidenced by his “You can party when you’re 40” speech at the beginning of spring training this year.
Here’s a visual for these four players, by my outsider’s estimation:
Don’t come away from this thinking I’m calling one player a better leader than another. Leaders aren’t good or bad in a vacuum. These are just an estimation of what styles specific players might use, and their usefulness depends on the context.
This thought exercise was to demonstrate that Carlos Correa is quite prepared to fill a leadership role in almost any situation. He can help right the ship, provide energy, work with teammates, hold others to high standards, rally teammates, and even contribute to decision-making. Whatever the context, Correa can fill a leadership role, at least through this breakdown of styles.
Combining these two articles, we can see that Correa—through his skills on the field and position on the diamond—is a prime candidate to be seen as a leader, and he possesses a versatile set of leadership tendencies that allow him to provide leadership in several domains.
Please, leave comments or questions below, even if you think this is all a bunch of hullabaloo (if you do think it’s hullabaloo, and you’re still reading this, I really appreciate it). I’d love to continue this series, and your input is valuable. I’d love to go into topics that the community is interested in.
Mumford, M. D. (2006). Pathways to outstanding leadership: A comparative analysis of charismatic, ideological, and pragmatic Leaders. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
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