​Hall of Famer Joe Torre was a major league manager for 30 seasons. From 1996 to 2007, Torre was the manager of the New York Yankees and guided the team to four World Series championships. He is one of only five managers in history to win four or more World Series titles and one of only two in history to win three titles in a row.
 
Torre spent 28 seasons (4,272 games) as a player and a manager before he made his first World Series (the longest wait for anybody in the history of the game). Then he made history. In his book Ground Rules for Winners, Torre writes about two important qualities that helped him and can help you persevere and achieve your goals:
 
"1. Maintain Your Perspective. Don’t overreact to current troubles; remember past accomplishments that help keep your confidence high. For instance: After a bad day, remind yourself of the deals made, clients landed, steps up the ladder taken. Learn from mistakes; don't use them to beat up on yourself. Hold onto your sense of humor.
 
During my eight years as a player with the Braves, I was fortunate to hit behind baseball's all-time home run king, Hank Aaron. One day, Hank and I were talking about batting slumps when he made a comment that's stayed with me ever since: "Each at-bat is a new day."
 
No matter what our line of work, we all endure slumps. When we find ourselves in a rut, "Each at-bat is a new day" is a line worth remembering. I'd take it even further: We don't just have the opportunity to start fresh each day. We have the opportunity to start fresh each moment.
 
2. Stay optimistic. Drive, Competitiveness, Determination, Commitment are qualities we associate with winners. But each one of these characteristics depends on one other: optimism.Without optimism—that gut-level belief that we can succeed—we are far less likely to realize our dreams. Setbacks and slumps will stop us cold if we don't have basic faith in ourselves. No matter how badly we want to succeed, if we don't feel optimistic about our abilities and our potential, every day is going to be a struggle.
 
Life deals its blows to each one of us. Whether the set-backs occur in our personal or professional lives, they can ruin our dreams for success—if we let them. Optimism is the ability to accept negative events without allowing them to destroy our resolve. Slumps are inevitable, they aren't signs that we don't have what it takes to succeed. Here's my bottom line: Acknowledge that you've had a bad day, but don't live there. Move on with as much confidence as you can muster.
 
Don't tell yourself what you cannot do. Let your competition do that. Managers and team players alike must corner the market on positive thoughts."
 
How is your perspective? 

Hall of Famer Joe Torre was a major league manager for 30 seasons. From 1996 to 2007, Torre was the manager of the New York Yankees and guided the team to four World Series championships. He is one of only five managers in history to win four or more World Series titles and one of only two in history to win three titles in a row.
 
Torre, like so many of the legends we have studied including his dear friend John Wooden, were masters of constant improvement because they were able to focus on what they could do now. They learned from the past but did not live in it. They were intense without being tense.
 
In his book Ground Rules for Winners, Torre expands on the idea:
 
"In your professional life you should follow this: Control what you can, let go of the rest. When you control what you can, you know you've done everything possible to succeed. That means hard work, total commitment, painstaking preparation, and squeezing every ounce of ability from yourself.
 
When you let go of the rest, you stop torturing yourself over every defeat. (People in sports or business who assume they have absolute control over their professional lives will doubt their abilities the moment things don't work out as planned.) Reality check: You don't control all of the conditions that make it possible for you to be a winner. Every time you experience a failure, ask yourself two sets of questions:
 

1. Did the failure involve some lapse of judgment, concentration, or hard work on my part? If so, how can I improve next time?
2. Did the failure involve a factor over which I have no control? If so, can I recognize this and quit blaming myself?

 
Use the first set of questions to take responsibility for mistakes and learn from them. Use the second set of questions to identify areas where you have no control, and to stop wrestling with yourself over them. I recommend that as an executive, manager, or employee, you create your own lists of factors you can control and ones you cannot.
 
Let me illustrate with a partial list of things I cannot control as manager of the Yankees: how my players actually perform once they're on the field; what my players are paid; when or how severely my players are injured; what the media says about me or my players; what my boss, George Steinbrenner, says or does regarding the team.
 
Here's what I can control: all strategic decisions during ball games; how I relate to and teach my players; how I utilize my coaches and support staff; how prepared I am for every ball game; how I speak to the media and react to their stories; how I relate to George Steinbrenner and others in our front office; how I react to what George says or does regarding the Yankees; my input regarding player personnel decisions, though I have no final say over those decisions."
 
Do you have your own lists of factors you can control and ones you cannot?

​Hall of Famer Joe Torre was a major league manager for 30 seasons. From 1996 to 2007, Torre was the manager of the New York Yankees and guided the team to four World Series championships. He is one of only five managers in history to win four or more World Series titles and one of only two in history to win three titles in a row.
 
Torre was a great motivator and a master communicator with his players and his boss George Steinbrenner. In today's environment, emails, texting, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are valuable communication tools but they should not replace Torre's most valuable motivational tool: face to face one on one time. In his book Ground Rules for Winners, Torre expands on the idea:
 
"To know your team as individuals, you need to look them in the eye. And you absolutely must make time for them. Sounds like a simple rule, but too many managers in too many walks of life only pay lip service to it.
 
Firstly, making time for team players enables you to appreciate them as individuals, which can definitely help you to get the most of their abilities. Secondly, it gives you opportunities to (1) let players know what you expect of them; (2) bolster their confidence; (3) answer their questions; and (4) offer support.
 
I'm not big on team meetings—I prefer one-on-one sessions. I will hold hundreds of private discussions over the course of a single season, and these efforts are the basis of my motivational strategy. It doesn't matter where the meeting occurs or how long it lasts. What matters is the quality of the exchange. Private chats with your players should not feel like an obligatory routine. I suggest that you initiate them only "as needed," and only in circumstances where the door is open, so to speak. Managers can use one-on-one meetings almost the way doctors use office visits —for both diagnosis and treatment."
 
Torre also described why he felt it was critical for unhappy team members to be comfortable to air their dissatisfaction with their boss face to face one on one:
 
"When team members feel they've been put in the wrong positions, they may complain, harbor resentment, and put in less-than-optimal effort. In such cases, as a team player, it may help to communicate your concerns to the manager, if only to open up a dialogue. It never helps to let resentments fester; I've always favored getting conflicts and issues out on the table. The point should be to clear the air, not manipulate the manager into giving you what you want. Once you've had your say, there's a good chance your relationship with your manager will improve, even if the manager doesn't change his or her mind."
 
Is there somebody you need more face to face one on one time with?

​Hall of Famer Joe Torre was a major league manager for 30 seasons. From 1996 to 2007, Torre was the manager of the New York Yankees and guided the team to four World Series championships. He is one of only five managers in history to win four or more World Series titles and one of only two in history to win three titles in a row.
 
Torre was the only New York Yankee manager to work successfully with owner George Steinbrenner, who had changed managers 21 times in his previous 23 seasons of ownership before Torre. Torre was successful because he used great self-control in dealing with his "Tough Boss". In his book Ground Rules for Winners Torre expands on the idea:
 
"Every workplace has its share of bad-tempered executives and managers. There will always be people who meddle, backbite, and second-guess what you're trying to accomplish. You can usually deal with them. It's important, though, that you avoid pulling the same routines that you condemn in others. Treat your boss with respect even if he does not reciprocate.
 
To sustain a professional relationship with a tough boss, it's best to stay calm, rational, and cool under fire. Self-control is your best asset. Hold on to the mutual respect and trust you have worked so hard to build. Don't let your shared goals go down the tubes because you feel you must always be right. Control what you can, let go of the rest.
 
Don’t get overly caught up in your boss's reactions. I don't care if he rants and raves. Don't let petty disputes or sideshows destroy your focus on the work at hand. Do not become so emotionally involved in pleasing or battling your boss that you take your eyes off that prize."
 
Torre never complained about his boss to others in the organization, his team or the media. Torre did not distribute any "dirty laundry". In Ground Rules for Winners Torre describes his philosophy:
 
"You need constructive criticism, so be open to your boss's comments. But it's important that you distinguish between criticism and insults. The insults can hurt. If your boss belittles you, take a step back. Remind yourself that it's his problem, not yours. Don’t overreact to your boss's behavior. Let unimportant controversies die a natural death. Don't let negative comments get under your skin.
 
Respect your employer's desire to keep problems between you. If you broadcast your frustrations to others in your organization it shows a kind of disrespect for both your employer and your job. If you're a middle manager with your own staff, your goal should be to protect your team from your boss's distractions."
 
Bad coaches and managers blame their boss or company for problems and share their displeasure with their team directly or indirectly. They create distractions. Good coaches and managers shield their teams from external problems. They create inspiration.
 
Are you distracting or inspiring?

​Today was the absolute worst day ever

And don't try to convince me that

There's something good in every day

Because, when you take a closer look,

This world is a pretty evil place.

Even if

Some goodness does shine through once in a while

Satisfaction and happiness don't last.

And it's not true that

It's all in the mind and heart

Because

True happiness can be attained

Only if one's surroundings are good

It's not true that good exists

I'm sure you can agree that

The reality

Creates

My attitude

It's all beyond my control

And you'll never in a million years hear me say 

Today was a very good day

 

Now read it from bottom to top -- perception really is everything!

Hall of Famer Joe Torre was a a major league manager for 30 seasons. From 1996 to 2007, Torre was the manager of the New York Yankees and guided the team to four World Series championships. He is one of only five managers in history to win four or more World Series titles and one of only two in history to win three titles in a row.
 
Torre was the only New York Yankee manager to work successfully with owner George Steinbrenner, who had changed managers 21 times in his previous 23 seasons of ownership before Torre.
 
Steinbrenner was wealthy and wanted to win. He was also a difficult person to work with. Torre did two things which anybody can apply to create success when working with a strong willed person. These principles work in any relationship.
 
1. Show deference by working with the other person to establish a joint agenda. Find out what the other person wants to accomplish and focus on establishing a foundation based on your common goals. In his book Ground Rules for Winners, Torre expands on the idea:
 
"When you want to advance your own ideas and career goals, concentrate first on your shared agenda. A tough boss or co-worker is not likely to listen if you just confront him or her with demands. However, if you get a dialogue going, and he sees that his interests and yours overlap, he's going to be more receptive. You generate good will, which goes a long way. Sometimes, that's all it takes. In other cases, you have to keep working on the relationship. Your message should be that you have the interests of the company at heart, not just your own interests.
 
Your tough boss or co-worker may never be ideal. But you can build a professional relationship that serves your needs, his needs, and the larger needs of the organization."
 
2. We will be more effective if we study our boss and learn the best way to have an effective dialogue with the boss. In his book Ground Rules for Winners, Torre expands on the idea:
 
"You have to gauge your boss's personality and needs. Your assessment will help you determine what kind of approach will work. Some bosses need to know everything you're doing. Others couldn't care less about operational details. Some are completely secure. Others need reassur¬ance. Some need to be confronted. Others need to be soothed. Some have no sense of humor. Others respond to humor like nothing else.
 
Observe your boss so you can learn more about how he responds. Then put your knowledge to work. Not to manipulate, but to speak a language he can understand."
 
Torre learned that Steinbrenner needed reassurance. When Steinbrenner confronted Torre he would reassure the boss that everything would be okay and calm everything down instead of arguing with him or becoming defensive. Torre won four World Series championships instead of getting fired.
 
How do you show difficult people deference and created dialogue?