Chip Conley: Apple & The Oakland A’s: They’re Both Playing Moneyball

Wasn’t Joie de Vivre (slick-fielding infielder out of Stanford) part of the A’s ‘02 draft?

As we round the bases for the last two weeks of Major League Baseball, it’s worth noting that big league managers may know more about 21st century leadership than Fortune 500 CEO’s, with the possible exception of Steve Jobs. Remember Michael Lewis’ bestseller Moneyball about how Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane remade the game of baseball by looking at new metrics as a means of determining which players had the greatest impact on his team’s success?

...We’re living in a new era. And yet, we’re using the old metrics. Nearly two-thirds of the world’s GDP now comes from the intangible service industry—as opposed to tangible industries like manufacturing or agriculture—where competitive advantage isn’t about who’s the biggest, but who’s the smartest. Savvy business leaders are learning how to measure those intangible assets like loyalty and reputation—there are even social media benchmarks for your company now—so that they can modernize what they’re managing. What are the inputs or “Sabermetrics” in your business that you’ve been ignoring?

Fortunately, Hollywood is a step ahead of most business leaders, as they realize that Moneyball defines our 21st century world of underdogs looking for a leg up. You’ll see Brad Pitt playing Billy Beane next year when Sony Pictures brings this epic story of “what counts” to theaters around the world. Let’s hope a few business execs sneak off on their lunch hour to learn this leadership lesson on the big screen.