Covering All The Bases

Feb 2 2023

by Nathan Penn, originally published by Korn Ferry in Briefings Magazine

As his team arrived in Florida for spring training a year ago last February, Ross Atkins, the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, had every reason to be hopeful. He had just signed several prize free-agent players, adding to a team that had gone to the playoffs in 2020. But before spring training even ended, injuries brought down two of his most heralded new stars. That included, as luck would have it, the outfielder who had signed the richest contract in team history.

And then came the real curveball. As in the previous year, pandemic border restrictions meant the Blue Jays would have to play many of their “home” games in a minor-league stadium—in Buffalo. Reasonable people can disagree about the attractions of Buffalo (the New York Times says it’s a city on the rise!); the team never got to find out either way. The city was locked down. “There was no complaining,” says Atkins. “Everybody was focused on one another and the game—on the controllables.” Remarkably, the team stayed in contention throughout the summer, just missing the playoffs after a furious closing burst of wins.

Read More

See More Posts

Black History Month: 3 Diversity Headwinds—and 3 Solutions

Black History Month: 3 Diversity Headwinds—and 3 Solutions

by JT Saunders, originally posted by Korn Ferry in KF Insights For decades, company leaders have been saying they want to make their organizations more inclusive and diverse. Those efforts became even more widespread in the wake of the George Floyd killing. Now, as...

read more
The Gift that Keeps on Giving

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

by Amelia Haynes, originally published by Korn Ferry Institute Do you know that feeling you get when a stranger holds the door for you? Or when your partner surprises you with a gift? Or when your coworker offers to take something off your plate during a busy week?...

read more
A Year in Search of Purpose

A Year in Search of Purpose

by Daniel Goleman, originally published by Korn Ferry in KF Insights Looking back over the past three years of disruption and unrest—no word could be more appropriate than “CHANGE.” Can I change my career? Can I change my location? Can I change the world? These are...

read more