April 20, 2023 | Read Online

Doing the Right Thing

As leaders, we have an obligation to not treat our old team members as ships that passed us in the night.

Baseball is underway — and whether we’re locked into the sport or have no interest whatsoever in pitch clocks or bigger bases, there’s a pretty relevant leadership story from the opening weeks of the season.

Last month, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed 30-year-old outfielder Andrew Toles to a contract extension.

But Toles hasn’t played for the team since 2018 — and likely never will again.

So why did it make sense for Los Angeles to extend him?

In 2019, Toles was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. He was later found sleeping behind a FedEx building at Key West International Airport and has reportedly continued to have serious mental health challenges.

“Schizophrenia, it’s just so tough. I mean, he can’t even watch TV,” his dad told USA Today in 2021. “He hears voices and the TV at the same time, so it’s kind of confusing.”

In essence, the Dodgers re-signed Toles so that he can keep his health insurance and continue to be treated.

While the gesture likely isn’t breaking the bank for the franchise worth billions of dollars, there’s an important lesson in it for us.

We often coach players, lead employees and teach students for an extended period, then wish them well and lose track of them once they step outside our doors.

Most of us likely aren’t doing it out of malice or neglect. We simply become consumed with our present situations and concentrate our energy on who’s in front of us right now.

But as leaders, we also have an obligation to not treat our past team members as ships that passed us in the night.

How we communicate with them when they can no longer serve us or, maybe more importantly, when they’re going through the worst of times is the ultimate reflection of our values and character.

Toles played just three seasons and put up pretty pedestrian numbers for the organization. He certainly isn’t bound for the Hall of Fame or to have his jersey retired.

But the Dodgers haven’t dismissed him as some relic of the past or as "not their problem." They’ve gone out of their way to offer a helping hand and have exhibited generosity when many others likely wouldn't have.

That’s empathy. That’s loyalty. That’s true leadership.

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