Pat Gillick is a Hall of Fame baseball executive with a history of working with what he was given in an industry where the expectation is to clean house. This style and its effectiveness deserves a closer look.

Leading in business is hard. So is hitting a baseball. In fact, some say it's the hardest thing to do in all of sports. How would you like to make your living being responsible for how a dozen different hitters fare against the best pitchers on the planet? Being a hitting coach is a tough gig. Here are some lessons that business leaders can draw from the good ones...

Like with most things, it's about balance. Culture will rarely be enough to put you over the top. You need talent, strategy, and execution. Similarly, relying solely on skill often won't cut it either. There are a lot of talented people and organizations out there. What's going to separate you?

Whether it's now or later, there's a symbiotic relationship between winning and culture. Without enough of one, you won't have enough of either.

Resiliency is relatable because it's tied to adversity, which is universal. We appreciate how hard it can be to rebound from failure, and that sometimes, we simply can't (or don't). But what is often underappreciated is the fact that the very act of getting back up is a win. I love the Japanese proverb "Nana korobi, ya oki", which translates to "fall seven times, stand up eight". Stay in the fight. Get back at it tomorrow. The ability to show up every day, rain or shine, is an incredible asset. It's more powerful than we give it credit for. It's more than grit or perseverance. It can portend remarkable success.