Given the normally serious subject matter we cover in class, I have decided to mix it up a bit and blog about Americas past time, baseball, and a player who has emerged as a leader in the 2011 season. An emergent leader is defined as an, “individual who rises to a position of leadership as a result of the group’s perception of his or her leadership potential.” This definition is a perfect description of Jason Motte and his path to being an integral part of the St. Louis Cardinals quest to the 2011 World Series.
Early in Jason Motte’s career, he was on the other end of the pitch as a catcher in the Cardinals organization. After a couple years Motte had become known for his great arm and offensive struggles and had came close to being released from the squad. However the team knew that Motte possessed a special arm and thus was approached by coaches and asked to become a pitcher. This came as a surprise to Motte, but as any struggling minor league baseball player about to be released would do, he accepted the challenge. The basic idea behind path-goal theory is that leaders provide support and define goals to clarify the path of a subordinate in order to reach goals and increase productivity more efficiently. This situation is a great depiction of that belief; Motte’s goal was to reach the major leagues and the clarification provided by leaders that aided Motte was that he would now be pitching instead of catching along the path to his ultimate goal.
As trait theory states, a leaders success is predicated upon a set of traits that s/he possesses and how they are utilized. In Motte’s journey he exhibited intelligence, in accepting the challenge to pitch, self-confidence, by believing in his abilities to become a professional pitcher with relatively zero experience, and determination, by being persistent in the face of adversity to finally get a second chance and capitalize upon it. These traits have allowed for Jason to get his chance to be a major league pitcher, and ultimately emerge as the unlikely leader of the Cardinals bullpen in the memorable 2011 season. What identifiers does this article identify to lable Jason Motte as an unelected leader? How does Mottes story relate to one (or more) of the leadership theories that we have studied thus far in class?
By: Ty Wiesemeyer
Friday, October 21, 2011
A Path Less Traveled
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ReplyDeleteI think this is a unique but credible example of an unelected leader emerging as a leader. You did a great job of addressing how Motte emerged as a leader and how this opportunity ties to some of the class theories. I don't have anything to oppose or question. Good job!
ReplyDeleteQuasheena Ellis
Thank you for clearing up the story of Jason Motte. I have been sick of hearing Joe Buck saying this guy just started saving games in late August and having no idea who he is. I think Motte's situation does fit path-goal theory but his story is unique because it does not follow what people would think is a commmon path. What are the odds someone trys to get into the majors as a catcher but he ends up a pitcher? Nevertheless, he ended up in the majors.
ReplyDeleteThis was definitely an interesting story, that makes it hard for even a Cubs fan to dislike this Cardinal’s player. I agree with you all that he has overcome obstacles to reach his goals but the idea I struggle with is his lack of conceptual skills. The Skills Approach discusses the need for leaders to have conceptual skills while it is okay to lack the technical skills. This, as far as I know, does not describe Motte, he has the ability to pitch but the article does not focus very much on his relationship with others and his ability to lead them. The one time it does it is discussing Motte’s relationship with the catchers. In the story it states that “ Motte learned to trust his catchers. And he learned to trust himself.” This relationship could possible be seen as a leader-follower relationship but I feel Motte lacks the position power so many leaders possess. I am not completely convinced he is a very strong leader. What you guys think? I believe that if he wants to improve he should follow the leader-member exchange theory, and really focus on a few people just like the pitching coach did for him. Do you guys agree with that suggestion and if not what other theory would he possible base his leadership style off of?
ReplyDeleteEmily Seaholm
Emily, I think this story is about Jason Motte's path to a leadership position now but maybe the focal point should be the Cardinal's coaching staff and how they successfully used path-goal theory to get Motte to be a vital member of the franchise. Path-goal is about removing distractions to get the most out of subordinates. Its about finding a way to inspire subordinates to reach their goals and despite the odds the Cardinals found a way to do that for Motte. I think thats kind of what I was getting at when I said Motte's story fit the path-goal theory but I should have specified. The Cardinals did not give up on Motte but instead found where he fits best and can be an asset. Now he seems to fit in and is vital to the Cardinals World Series hopes. The Cardinals pitching staff is the leaders and ones who successfully implement path-goal theory in this case.
ReplyDeleteTy, I definitely agree that Jason Motte encompasses many of the leadership styles that we have learned in class. I personally feel that authentic leadership probably plays a strong role throughout the team. Since Motte has had a career that has required him to change positions to better the organization as a whole, the team respects him for the way he has embraced those changes and put the team ahead of his personal agenda. This authentic style of leadership has to gain respect from everyone in the organization. When one player is sacrificing for the good of the team, others will follow. This concept leads to a cohesive and unselfish ball team. We see these same concepts in other businesses as well. For example, a top level executive who takes a pay cut due to the bad economy can send a powerful message throughout the business. One thing I like about sports examples is the leadership examples are usually clear and easy to grasp.
ReplyDeleteBy Dan Becker