Former big league MVP touts leadership and ethics in business

Former big league MVP touts leadership and ethics in business

(Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News)


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SALT LAKE CITY — In his heyday, Dale Murphy was a free-swinging power hitter who relished playing Major League Baseball at a high level with integrity and professionalism.

More than two decades following his last at-bat, he still believes in those core principles that made him one of the premier players of his generation.

Speaking Wednesday to bankers and business leaders at the Bank of Utah’s annual Fall Author Event breakfast at the Grand America Hotel, Murphy said playing sports “the right way” can translate to the business world as well.

Murphy, who played 18 seasons in the majors, most notably as an All-Star outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, won two most valuable player awards while amassing nearly 400 home runs and more than 1,200 RBIs. He was also reputed to be one of the most clean-cut players in the game throughout his career.

Murphy explained that many athletes or business professionals have had influential people in their lives for whom they would “run through the proverbial brick wall” because of the respect and admiration they developed for that person as a leader. Even when you become accomplished at “your craft,” you still want to perform your best for that person, he said.

“Whether you’re a high school player, a college player or in the major leagues, there comes a point in time where you can do your job but you still play for that leader,” Murphy said. “You have a person that is leading your team that you have a lot of confidence in and that has endeared you to him.”

Leadership in business, he said, is very similar.

“(When the business team) has a leader that trusts them, respects them and gives them the opportunity to succeed, there is camaraderie and bonding that happens where you say, 'I love working here. I love working for that person,'" Murphy said. “Having a leader that shows you that he’s in your corner, shows confidence in you so when you mess up he doesn’t bench you, that is leadership in business or sports.”

Great leaders in any industry create a culture where no matter who is playing or working for you, they give their best effort for you, he said. Having strong ethics is also important in creating an environment where people can thrive and reach their full potential, Murphy said.

“Companies have shown that if they do things the right way that it’s actually good for business,” he said. “When you have a good reputation — especially in today’s climate of (Wall Street) dishonesty and shady ethics that have hurt so many and taken so much from people — it’s really disappointing. We need people to step up do things the right way. You want to have self-respect about life and the way you do things.”

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