Over 2,500 games from the dugout. 50+ years in baseball. 17 as an MLB manager. I won Manager of the Year and also lost more games than I want to count. I led teams through losing seasons and took a team to the World Series. If I could go back to my first day as a leader, here are the 5 lessons I'd whisper in my own ear: Lesson 1: Be a window when it's good, a mirror when it's bad. The leaders I respected most shared every win and absorbed every hit. What this looks like in practice: • Wins: name the people who made it happen • Losses: say "that's on me" before anyone asks • Locker room: spotlight the effort before the outcome Your team will fight harder for a leader who deflects credit and absorbs blame. Lesson 2: Nobody hands you trust. You earn it before you coach it. Early in my career, plenty of coaches tried to fix my swing. I tuned out every one I didn't trust. Get to know your people before you try to develop them. Their hobbies, their family, what makes them tick. Then the coaching lands. Lesson 3: Shower well after every loss. After a losing streak in Colorado, our team president asked me how I kept the clubhouse together. This was my rule: • Self-evaluate honestly, were we prepared, did we execute? • Shower well, wash off the grit, grime, and angst before you walk out • Be present for whoever you're going home to Tomorrow is a new opportunity. Don't drag yesterday into it. Lesson 4: Lead transformationally, not transactionally. Transactional leaders ask: what can this person do for me? Transformational leaders ask: how do I put this person in a position to win? The first builds compliance. The second builds careers. When your people start chasing growth instead of your approval, you've crossed over. Lesson 5: Stay humble before life humbles you. There are two kinds of people in this world: those who are humble, and those who are about to be. Discipline keeps you in the first group: Skill gets you in the room. Humility keeps you there. 50 years taught me leadership isn't about you. It's about the people you serve. @rockies