Providing the Challenge and the Opportunity
The Boston Red Sox have no shortage of talent. They have stars, prospects, veterans, coaches, executives, and millions of passionate fans who care deeply about the organization. Yet as I have watched the conversations surrounding Brayan Bello, Rafael Devers, and the club’s future, I find myself thinking less about baseball and more about leadership.
Specifically, I find myself wondering whether organizations sometimes focus too much on labels and not enough on people.
Brayan Bello and the Search for Consistency
Consider the Bello situation. Every Red Sox fan can see the talent. The sinker has movement. The changeup can be devastating. On the right night, Bello looks like a pitcher capable of dominating major league hitters. Yet consistency has remained elusive, and the discussion often becomes simple: Should he remain a starter, move to the bullpen, or be sent to AAA?
Those are fair baseball questions. But I think there is a more important leadership question. Where can Bello best help the Red Sox win? That may sound like a minor distinction, but it is an entirely different conversation.
The Fish and the Tree
A popular saying, often incorrectly attributed to Albert Einstein, suggests that if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it may spend its entire life believing it is incapable. Whether Einstein actually said those words is beside the point. The idea is hardly new. Similar lessons appear in educational fables such as George H. Reavis’ The Animal School, where animals are judged against standards that fail to recognize their natural strengths. The lesson remains powerful.
Perhaps Bello is baseball’s version of a fish being asked to climb a tree. A fish is not untalented, nor lazy, nor broken. A fish simply thrives in the water.
The question is not whether the fish possesses talent. The question is whether we have placed it in the environment where its talents can flourish. That is where leadership enters the discussion.
Too often, organizations approach struggling performers with a verdict.
“You failed.”
“You are not good enough.”
“We need someone else.”
Honest Conversations Matter
Good leaders approach the situation differently. They provide both challenge and opportunity. Challenge plus opportunity is a leader’s responsibility, a concept that aligns closely with the principles outlined in the EIPA Framework. Challenge without opportunity becomes criticism. Opportunity without challenge becomes complacency. The two must coexist; learning to have talent conversations (Center for Creative Leadership) is non-negotiable for leaders.
Imagine a conversation with Bello that begins not with a demotion, but with belief.
“Brayan, we know you have the talent to succeed, and we think you can help this team win.”
“We also believe there may be another path that allows your strengths to emerge more consistently.”
“We want you learning from veteran pitchers, in their environment.”
“We want you working alongside people who have experienced success, adversity, reinvention, and pressure.”
“We are not giving up on you, we are investing in you.”
Of course, in this instance, a previous conversation with prospective mentors has to take place. They need to be willing and able to take Bello under their wing, teach the nuances, and provide the left and right safety nets to function.
That is a very different conversation. Perhaps the answer to Bello’s struggles is mechanical. Perhaps it is statistical. Perhaps it is mental. None of us can know for certain. What we do know is that people often perform better when they understand the challenge before them and can clearly see the opportunity on the other side.
I often wonder about Rafael Devers. Not because I know what conversations occurred behind closed doors, but because I understand the importance of communication. Imagine if several years ago the organization sat down with Devers and said:
“Raffy, we want you in Boston for your entire career.”
“We believe you can become one of the greatest Red Sox players of your generation, if not all time.”
“We want to challenge you to improve defensively at third base.”
“We also want to create an opportunity for you to learn first base.”
“Not because we are replacing you.”
“Because we see a future where versatility extends your career, increases your value, and keeps you wearing a Red Sox uniform for years to come.”
Would the outcome be different? Perhaps, perhaps not. No leader can guarantee success. No coach can guarantee buy-in. No executive can guarantee acceptance. Leadership is not about controlling outcomes.
The Importance of Mentorship
Veterans such as Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock have experienced the highs and lows of professional baseball. They understand something many young players eventually learn. A player’s value is not determined by a title. Be that title Starter, Reliever, Setup man, or Closer.
Those are labels. The real objective is helping the team win. Red Sox history provides a valuable reminder. The 2004 World Series championship team is remembered for David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Curt Schilling, and Pedro Martinez and rightfully so.
But the Red Sox do not win that championship without Mike Timlin and Alan Embree (or Bellhorn, Cabrera, or Mientkiewicz, et al., for that matter).
Championship teams require stars. They also require players who embrace roles and excel in them. That lesson extends beyond Brayan Bello. The leadership needs to forget the label and provide the challenge (think role) and the opportunity (innings reliever behind an opener, perhaps). Excelling with the challenge and opportunity may build the exact mental state needed to be a superstar, ignore the label and pressure that comes with it, and fill the role or need.
Leadership Beyond Baseball
Leadership is about creating the conditions where success becomes more likely. That requires more than action. It requires conversation.
The conversational requirements of leadership are honesty, support, accountability, and genuine care. Honesty without support feels harsh. Support without honesty feels hollow. Care without accountability creates excuses. Accountability without care creates resentment.
The best leaders combine all four. They tell people the truth. They provide support. They demonstrate genuine care. They establish accountability. And, most importantly, they help people see a path forward.
Whether in baseball, business, education, government, or family life, people are more willing to accept difficult challenges when they understand the purpose behind them and believe someone is committed to helping them succeed.
That is why leadership is not simply about evaluating talent. It is about developing talent. It is about identifying potential. It is about helping people become capable of more than they believed possible. The goal is not to force people into boxes; it is to identify where their strengths can flourish.
Because once a fish finds the ocean, nobody worries about how well it climbs trees.