Small Ball Business

As I watched the Texas Rangers take on the Tampa Bay Rays this evening, the commentators for ESPN made mention to the new breed of baseball player taking the "imaginations of fans to a new place." As they talked on, I began to think that the newest faces of baseball are not sitting atop inflated necks and steroid induced unnatural muscles as we've seen in recent years. This new crop of ball players are playing the game the way it was meant to be played with skills that show they are true students of the game.
Baseball is a game that, when understood, can be appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed for all of it nuances and strategy. It is a game that rewards risk, relies on team, and in the end is won by those that find the right combination of speed and power. The champions of the ball field are above all else scrappy. They manufacture runs, create opportunities, and exploit the mistakes of their opponents. The best baseball games to watch are the ones filled with double plays, stolen bases, and diving catches. The pitchers duels and the walk off home runs. When played with an understanding of the rules and how far you can push them, it can get very exciting very quickly. It means playing smart small ball, not dumbing down the game by illegally beefing up your batters.
The same will continue to be proved true in business. There is a new breed of business owners, entrepreneurs, and titans of industry emerging. These new faces are not perched atop inflated balance sheet or debt induced unnaturally leveraged corporations as we've seen in recent years. This new crop of players in the business world are changing the status quo, challenging those that have come before them to a higher standard, and never succumbing to the intellectual laziness that is evident from a response like, "Because that is the way it has always been done."
Business is a game that rewards risk, relies on your team, and in the end will be won by those that create the new and innovative ways of thinking that will forever change the playing field. The champions of this new era of business will rise up from the shambles of the "too big to fail" government subsidized corporations and strike out on their own to do it the right way, the hard way, and the only way that creates an honest reward and a sustainable competitive advantage: scrappiness. By making the choice to never stop learning, to never stop asking questions, and always seeking a better way. It means working smarter, not dumbing down business by illegally beefing up your balance sheets.
Good fundamentals and excellent small ball is the future of baseball.
Great fundamentals and stellar scrappiness is the future of business.