5 Things I Learned about Leadership by Watching A.J. Hinch

Being part of the Astros World Series run and watching these postseason games has been a joy. Throughout the season, and even more noticeably this postseason, I have been quietly impressed with manager A.J. Hinch's leadership.

Here are 5 things I learned about leadership by watching A.J.:

1. Set the Tone by How You Treat People

Springer needed to trust that his manager would stay with him after starting the postseason 3 for 30. Gurriel made a major mistake with his Darvish gesture. Hinch handled each situation with humanity and class. Hinch sets the tone for the team, and you even see this by the way he speaks to the media—with respect and honest responses—win or loss.

2. Give Freedom with Consequences

Altuve said in postgame interviews that A.J. lets his players be themselves, instead of forcing them to conform to his style and personality. This is a young, fun team and this freedom to be themselves was on display before Game 7, when the Astros players danced, listened to bad 70's music, and stayed loose. Then, they took the field and played great. Just as importantly, when there is a performance problem, A.J. address the problem (see his decision not to use closer Ken Giles after his poor performance in Game 4).

3. Be a Hybrid

Track spin rate and pitch count and all the other useful data you can get your hands on, but sometimes you must go with your gut, trust your eyes, and ride a hunch as A.J. did multiple times. The most notable example is his decision to keep Morton on the mound for 4 innings to close the game (well past what the analytics would have suggested).

4. It's Not About Me

Try as they might in postgame, interviewers were unable to get Hinch to brag about his own greatness as a manager. He deferred to his players as the real reason for the championship win, and I believe he meant it sincerely. A.J. clearly enjoyed this moment and winning the championship, but not primarily for his own glory.

5. Remind Players (Employees) of Their “Why”

A baseball championship doesn't change the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey. But it gives respite to a hurting city, and a chance to rejoice. Hinch encouraged players to display pictures and visual reminders of Houston (and of Puerto Rico in the cases of Beltran and Correa) post-Harvey. He did this as a way of grounding them with a healthy perspective, as well as helping his players remember that what they were playing for was bigger than themselves. They played like it.