Listening for Strengths: Joe Torre’s “last” news conference

Part of my role as a professional coach is to listen for people’s strengths and help them use those strengths to best advantage. One of the ways I challenge myself and practice the skill of listening for strengths is by listening to interviews.

Last week, as I (and many others) predicted, Joe Torre ended his twelve-year tenure with the New York Yankees. On Friday (Oct 19, 2007), I sat down to watch Mr. Torre’s news conference where he sat down to explain his decision to turn down the one-year deal the team had offered him. As I listened to Torre’s statement and answers to reporters’ questions, I identified several character strengths--some of which may be his signature strengths.

Gratitude. Mr. Torre began by thanking people. You would find this predictable--after all, his time with his team was ending and it’s natural in a situation like that one to thank people. However, as the news conference went on, Mr. Torre used gratitude again and again. He was touched by how many people were present; he was surprised by the rally people held to try to save his job. He used words like “fortunate,” “lucky,” “blessed.” It was clear that he viewed his years with the Yankees--and for that matter, his entire career--as a gift. Viewing events, even negative ones, as gifts and opportunities for being thankful is one of the hallmarks of gratitude as a signature strength. He didn’t just thanking people in a perfunctory way, it was a genuine expression of appreciation and heartfelt gratitude. And that was true when he thanked Steinbrenner as well.

Prudence. Anyone who has watched Joe Torre for a while knows he has great self-control. He has a very calm, reserved manner. From this news conference, I suspect that Mr. Torre has prudence as one of his signature strengths. Prudence is the ability to be careful in one’s words and actions; it is sometimes also called being conscientious. Prudence seems to come very naturally to Mr. Torre. He spoke carefully even when he started to feel some anger, such as when one reporter asked him if he’d be willing to return to Yankee Stadium in some ceremonial capacity. Mr. Torre’s face darkened a bit, but he answered calmly. Prudence is also about being careful in one’s choices. Mr. Torre pointed that a one-year deal, with extensions and incentives predicated on the team’s winning or losing, would have created a conflict of interest that would be bad for the players. Such foresight is characteristic of prudence.

Humility and modesty. Mr. Torre also came across as being quite modest. Part of this impression comes from his prudence and self-control, but I believe that humility might also be one of Mr. Torre’s signature strengths. Humility means letting one’s actions speak for themselves. Mr. Torre referred to that viewpoint time and again as he talked about his record rather than himself. From what he said, he did the same thing in his last meeting with team ownership. His record, he pointed out, was clear. Mr. Torre spend no time talking about how great he was or acting puffed up. He was uncomfortable talking about himself--he said as much--and it showed. Humility is one of the rarest character strengths and perhaps also the most misunderstood. In our current cultural climate, humility is thought of as weakness but as Mr. Torre demonstrated, one doesn’t have to be arrogant to be strong.

Hope and optimism. At one point, Mr. Torre said in every new job, he always “hangs pictures.” What he meant was he expected and worked for the best. Throughout the news conference, Mr. Torre spoke of the future with a sense of animation and liveliness. At no point did he seem depressed or downhearted. Sad, yes. But not down in the dumps. It’s his willingness to drive nails in the walls of his new office, though that speak strongly of hope as a signature strength. A nail in the wall isn’t permanent, but it’s close. Tapping in that nail means you’ll be there for a while, that there’s a sense of permanency and commitment, both of which are clearly vital to Mr. Torre.

Integrity. He spoke carefully but at no time did he seem dishonest or disingenuous. When he didn’t agree or didn’t like something, he didn’t pretend to feel otherwise. Mr. Torre said again and again that his decision was not about the money. What he pointed out, directly and indirectly, was that the offer was an affront to his sense of integrity. He clearly felt that this situation he would be in was out of step with who he is as a person and a professional. That sort of integrity, and having enough class, self-respect, and dignity to speak about it clearly and unequivocally, was a true joy to witness.

Below, I’ve embedded a portion of the news conference video. If you choose to watch it, you’ll hear Mr. Torre’s opening statement, before the reporters began to question him. While it’s not the whole story, perhaps you’ll get some of sense of Mr. Torre’s strengths and how those sounded during the course of the whole news conference.

Whatever Mr. Torre’s future may hold, there is no doubt in my mind he will do well. He is a man of quiet dignity, fierce determination, and unrivaled managerial skill. Any team will lucky to have him. God bless you, Joe, and Godspeed.