When Culture Transcends the Score

Bo Bichette comforts Don Mattingly Source: Sportsnet

Watching the Toronto Blue Jays these last few weeks has been a lesson in creating a transformative culture: one that took them from last place in the league the previous year, to within literal inches of winning the World Series. 

The Blue Jays didn't end the season they wanted—and I’m not lying when I say many of us were absolutely devastated by the outcome. 🥺

But their response to this loss? 

That revealed everything about their culture. 

No blame. No finger-pointing. Just the sense that for these guys, losing each other was harder than losing the game. 

Not seeing each other every day. Not pushing each other to be better. Not sharing that dugout energy—that was the real loss. 

There are moments in life when you just know: "This is special. This matters." 

The Blue Jays knew they had that. And you could see it in how they showed up for each other, right to the end. 

That camaraderie. That trust. That reliance on one another—that's the culture.

What do great cultures do? 

💥They create environments where people want to contribute, even when results lag. Where accountability doesn't mean blame—it means collective ownership. Where people feel part of something bigger than themselves. 

The best teams I've worked with have this energy.

💥They don't crumble during tough times. 

💥They don't point fingers when results fall flat. 

💥They double down on fundamentals: communication, trust, execution, and genuine belief in what they're building together. 

Culture isn't ping pong tables or free lunch. It's whether people trust their teammates. Whether they leave everything on the field, regardless of the score. Whether they'd run into a wall for each other. 

I'm confident the Blue Jays will land on top next year. 

Meantime they've already figured out something more important: how to be a team people want to be part of. 

#Leadership #OrganizationalCulture #TeamBuilding #BlueJays