Derek Schiller, President & CEO of the Atlanta Braves, tell us about the accomplishments he’s most proud of and what advice he would give to a new leader. Read on:
The life of a baseball team president and CEO is never the same from one day to the next. One of the first things I do when I wake up is remind myself of my mantra: I’m going to attack the day. For me, that means being ready and fully engaged with everything that comes my way.
It also means being mindful and aware of my surroundings, especially the people I’m interacting with. They might be dealing with something personal or facing challenges at work. Approaching the day with a little more compassion helps me stay connected and thoughtful as I navigate it.
I stepped into a leadership role with significant responsibility at just 27 years old. I was working for George Steinbrenner at the New York Yankees, and I remember being very conscious of what others thought of me—sometimes more than focusing on my actual job and responsibilities.
If I could give advice to young leaders, it would be this: focus less on how others view you and more on your role and how to do it well. When you do your job successfully, respect, trust, and followership naturally follow.
Having worked for the Atlanta Braves for more than 23 years, it’s hard not to say that The Battery Atlanta and Truist Park are among the things I’m most proud of. But that project, and everything we accomplished with it, wasn’t about any one person.
It was the culmination of tremendous hard work by hundreds, even thousands, of people. For me, pride comes from being part of the leadership that drives that effort and helping turn a big idea into reality.
