Are You Gripping the Bat Too Tight?

—Loosening Your Grip To Lead With Confidence

Recently on the No More Carbon Copies podcast, Kyle Loretelli, who spent years on the baseball diamond before stepping into the world of sales, shared how this lesson from baseball reshaped his leadership.

You can’t control the outcome of an at-bat.

You can prepare.

You can practice.

You can study film.

You can take 300 swings off the tee.

But once you step into the batter’s box?

You have to let go.

Gripping the Bat

In baseball, when a hitter presses — when he tries to force the hit — he tightens his grip.

He overthinks mechanics.

He tries to steer the ball.

He loses fluidity.

The result? Weak contact. Or worse… paralysis.

Leadership sometimes looks the same.

Kyle described years of operating in “mental overdrive”:

• Replaying conversations

• Overanalyzing emails

• Trying to script outcomes

• Feeling like he should have all the answers

And doing it mostly alone.

As leaders move up the ranks, something subtle happens. Early in our careers…

We’re coached constantly.

We’re supported.

We’re developed.

But as we earn promotions, we quietly assume:

“I should know this by now.”

So we stop asking. We stop admitting uncertainty. We isolate.

And we start gripping the bat too tight.

Paralysis by Analysis

In baseball, if you step into the box thinking about:

your elbow angle

your stride length

your head position, and

your follow-through…

you’re already out.

Kyle described the business equivalent: planning perfectly, building detailed strategies, constructing the ideal to-do list — and then freezing.

Because when you try to control every variable, you eventually suffocate your strengths.

The irony?

The harder you try to manufacture the outcome, the less free you are to perform.

Trust the Reps

The best hitters don’t wing it.

They prepare relentlessly.

They take batting practice.

They watch tape.

They refine mechanics.

But in the game?

They simplify.

“See ball. Hit ball.”

Leadership works the same way.

Do the preparation.

Build the discipline.

Know your craft.

But when you walk into:

• A sales meeting

• A hard conversation

• A performance review

• A client lunch

You can’t be thinking about mechanics.

You have to trust the reps.

Stop trying to control outcomes — and trust your leadership.

The Clubhouse Effect

In baseball and in leadership, no one wins alone.

The best teams aren’t built on single superstars. They’re built in the clubhouse — on trust, vulnerability, and shared struggle.

Kyle admitted something many leaders won’t:

When he started opening up about his internal pressure and burnout, no one saw it as weakness.

Instead, they leaned in and conversations became real.

Most leaders assume that admitting struggle makes them look less competent.

In reality, it makes them more human. And human leaders build better teams.

Slumps Happen

Every hitter goes through a slump. The difference between a short slump and a season-derailing spiral?

Awareness.

Kyle shared something powerful:

You don’t ever eliminate self-sabotage.

But you can shorten the recovery time.

What used to hijack half a day can be overcome in 30 minutes.

The negative voices don’t disappear.

We just recognize them faster.

Analyze Your Grip

Where in your leadership are you:

• Overthinking mechanics instead of trusting your reps?

• Trying to steer the ball instead of swinging free?

• Isolating instead of leaning into the clubhouse?

You can’t control every outcome. But you can control your preparation. Your presence. Your process.

Maybe the breakthrough isn’t a new strategy.

Maybe it’s owning your leadership and loosening your grip.

Let’s Talk.

If you’re ready to loosen your grip and lead with confidence...

Schedule a conversation →

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