What is the difference between holding a position of power and serving as a leader? Jim Malone—owner of Baseball Strength Academy and longtime Strength and Conditioning Coach with the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals—joins the latest episode to discuss leadership lessons he’s learned from decades in the Bigs working with multiple Hall of Famers and Cy Young Winners as well as countless All-Stars.

“True leaders across all domains have to lead everyone in their stead,” Malone says, making the point that great leaders in the dugout—from Trevor Hoffman to Adrian Gonzales—were not leaders for just part of the team, but the entire team.

The discussion shifts from developing leaders on the ball field to the political arena, where the same should hold true, but often does not—with political leaders and office-holders choosing to serve their party base but not the entire population.

The conversation also touches on honesty, consistency, and authenticity as core foundations of leadership and how the ideals of meritocracy from sport can be something that coaches and citizens as whole demand in the political realm.

“Meritocracy is earned, right?” Malone says. “It’s opportunities earned.”

Chapter List

00:00 Introduction to Coaching Values and Leadership

02:28 The Essence of Servant Leadership

07:27 Developing Internal Leadership in Teams

11:31 Authenticity and Consistency in Leadership

16:23 The Role of Honesty in Coaching

19:50 Meritocracy in Sports and Society

27:33 Leadership Qualities and Team Building

31:11 The Role of Sports in Community and Inclusion

32:29 Navigating the Media Landscape

34:58 Political Discourse and Leadership

39:07 Patriotism and Community Values