Losing Streaks Don’t Build Character. Leaders Do.
Every team loses. Every leader gets tested. The only question is what you’re made of when the scoreboard turns against you. I’ve spent my career studying crisis in police departments, in boardrooms, in government, on the field. And I’ve learned this: the tactics change. The principles never do. In 1988, the Orioles lost their first 21 games. Worst start in modern baseball history. Manager Frank Robinson didn’t have a playbook for that. He had something better: principles. He stood in front of the cameras every single day. He protected his players from the noise. He never let the streak define who they were, only what they were going through. That’s not a baseball story. That’s a leadership story. I’ve never seen a lack of composure make a situation better. Composure isn’t weakness. It’s discipline under fire. It’s the decision to lead when everyone around you wants to react. Remember, the shadow of a leader is alive and well. And winning? Winning solves a lot of problems. But winning doesn’t start with a scoreboard. It starts with fundamentals: teaching them, communicating them, believing in them long enough for the results to catch up. Stick to your knitting; a strong foundation survives. That’s the five-star discipline I’ve built my career on: teach, communicate, motivate, empower, hold people accountable. Not because it’s trendy. Because it’s timeless. It worked in a police department decades ago. It worked in a dugout in 1988. It works in a boardroom today. Crisis is not something to fear. It’s a growth strategy. The Orioles proved it. A year after the worst start in baseball history, they nearly made the playoffs. Process is as important as outcome. Every leader will lose. Not every leader will lead through it. The ones who do are the ones still standing when the record finally catches up to the effort. Rob Weinhold is Founder & CEO of Fallston Group and author of The Art of Crisis Leadership.
