Happy Friday,
We were fortunate to attend Game 3 of the World Series in Toronto this week. What an incredible experience. The energy in the stadium was unforgettable. The sound of nearly 50,000 fans standing shoulder to shoulder, singing, cheering, and believing again reminded me that leadership is as much about emotion as it is about execution.
I have to admit, I am a fan, just not an 18-inning game until 3 a.m. kind of fan. But being there in person brought back memories of those early championship years when an entire city seemed to rise and fall together with every pitch.
As Game 6 happens tonight, it is worth remembering how far this team has come. Less than a year ago, the Toronto Blue Jays finished last in the American League East.
What followed was one of the most significant cultural resets in professional sports and a leadership story worth studying.
In September 2024, after one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory, the organization had a choice. It could make cosmetic changes and move on, or it could face the more profound truth.
President Mark Shapiro and General Manager Ross Atkins chose the more challenging path. They retained John Schneider as manager, even after a 74-88 finish, a decision that many fans questioned.
They also made significant coaching changes, letting go of Guillermo Martinez, Gil Kim, and Jeff Ware while bringing Don Mattingly back into a more traditional bench coach role.
At the time, Schneider’s calm response to media pressure, “Things are normal,” struck many as defensive. However, looking back, it may have been a signal that the team was resetting, rather than reacting.
In leadership, the difference between panic and poise is often measured in tone.
Schneider and his team chose to face the challenge with steady hands and a willingness to look inward.
After the season ended, Shapiro admitted that the organization had experienced what he called “the biggest disconnect between expectation and outcome” in his entire tenure.
That kind of honesty is not easy to come by. It requires a mix of humility and courage. In Canadian workplaces, similar honesty gaps often show up after difficult years.
The Conference Board of Canada’s 2024 Workplace Insights Report found that 62 percent of executives identified cultural misalignment as the top barrier to performance.
More than half said they underestimated how long it would take to rebuild trust and engagement after a poor year.
In leadership, naming the problem is often the first step to solving it.
At the end of that difficult season, players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer spoke openly about their disappointment. Guerrero said, “Everything. We have to get better at everything.”
That may sound harsh, but it is also hopeful. Because ownership always starts with acceptance.
The Human Resources Professionals Association found in its 2025 Workplace Leadership Survey that organizations with a strong culture of accountability were three times more likely to report above-average retention and engagement.
The same principle applies in sports. When people stop explaining away failure and start owning it, performance begins to shift.
The Blue Jays entered the offseason with a new sense of humility and hunger. They did not just hire differently; they decided to behave differently.
Keeping the same manager while rebuilding the coaching team was a lesson in leadership judgment. Too much continuity can breed complacency. Too much change can create chaos. The art lies in knowing what to preserve and what to renew.
In our own 2025 Work. Made Better Report. Research indicates that nearly 70 percent of Canadian people and culture leaders identified their most significant challenge during transformation as deciding what not to change.
The Blue Jays did not abandon their core identity. They kept what mattered, a belief in development, teamwork, and character, while reshaping the environment around it.
By spring 2025, the difference was visible. Reporters described a more connected, more focused team. Players were laughing together again. There was structure without tension.
Focus without fear.
That is what culture repair looks like when it is done right.
The real test of any team’s culture is not at home but on the road. During their 2024 collapse, the Blue Jays struggled when away from Toronto. They looked disconnected, isolated, and tired. But in 2025, something shifted.
Reporters noticed the small things. Team meals were back. Players spent more time together. The dugout energy felt lighter. It was not about slogans or big speeches. It was about reconnecting through small, consistent actions.
A study by Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business found that teams with strong off-site connection scores, measured by how often members interact informally or travel together, perform 23 percent better than those that only focus on structured collaboration.
Culture travels. It does not stay in the office or the clubhouse. It shows up in how people treat each other when no one is watching.
In today’s hybrid workplaces across Canada, that matters more than ever. Culture is not built by memos; it is built in the small moments between meetings, during travel, and in how leaders show up when pressure hits.
By the time the 2025 season began, the Blue Jays looked more human, grounded, and connected. Players spoke with clarity and humility. There was less talk of hype and more focus on habits.
That shift mirrors what we are seeing across Canadian workplaces. According to Statistics Canada’s 2025 Labour Force Survey, while 81 percent of workers say career growth matters to them, more than half now rank feeling part of something that matters as their top motivator at work.
That represents a significant shift from pre-pandemic data, when compensation and promotion were the primary factors.
The takeaway is simple. Whether in a corporate boardroom or a baseball clubhouse, people do not just want to perform; they want to excel. They want to belong.
Standing in the stadium last weekend, I was struck by the sound of belief returning. When the crowd roared in the bottom of the eighth inning, it was not just for a hit or a run. It was for redemption.
It was for a team that refused to define itself by a single season. For leaders who stayed steady under scrutiny. For players who owned their failures and rebuilt from within.
And tonight, as Game 6 unfolds, whatever the outcome, the Blue Jays have already achieved something far more lasting than a trophy. They have rebuilt culture.
Every leader faces their own version of September 2024, that moment when expectations collapse, trust wavers, and everyone looks to you for direction.
What you choose to do next defines everything. Do you replace or renew? React or reflect?
The Blue Jays chose renewal. They doubled down on character and connection. They proved that leadership is not about perfection but persistence.
Culture repair takes courage. It requires honest reflection, consistent communication, and a commitment to time.
When done right, it can turn last place into a championship mindset.
If your organization is in a moment of renewal, we can help you rebuild with purpose. At CareerJoy, we help leaders and teams design human-first, data-smart strategies that restore confidence, strengthen culture, and build long-term performance.
Along the road with you,
Alan
P.S. Great leadership starts with trust in your team and in yourself. Our EmpowerHER LeadHERship Program helps women leaders strengthen that belief and lead with confidence. Join an info session, learn more, and get started.
P.P.S.Change tests trust. Our Career Transition & Outplacement Solutions help leaders guide teams through uncertainty with confidence, care, and dignity. Connect with Matt Goff , VP Professional Services, at 1-877-256-2569 or explore CareerJoy’s Outplacement Solutions.
