There are often lessons for business from popular culture, arts, and sports.  Here are some lessons from the 2013 Boston Red Sox World Series win.

1. From tragedy to triumph:  On April 15, 2013, bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed three people and injured at least 250.  As Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Mayor and ex-White House Chief of Staff said: “You never let a serious crisis go to waste.”   Use your crises as learning moments and catalysts for change.  Also, pay careful attention post-crisis, since crises often lead to poor decisions under business stress.
2. New leaders challenge the status quo:  With almost similar talent, a new leader, such as a calm, composed, and cerebral manager John Farrell, can make a huge difference.
3. Visible symbols matter:  Almost all Boston Red Sox players sported ugly, scraggly, preposterous, and sometimes well-groomed beards.  But the beards unified the team in more ways than one.  Also note that the unifying beards didn’t happen at the start of the season.  Rather, they became more prominent midseason as more team members aligned on a shared purpose.
4. Opportunity to rebuild your team:  Red Sox GM Ben Cherington signed the right players last offseason.  He didn’t have to bring aboard the biggest stars, but got his picks to contribute to winning.  A deftly crafted team with a diversity of skills, experiences, and perspectives will fight hard to succeed.
5. Culture can change faster than you think:  Often organizational and operational DNA is a key driver of business success.  But there is the myth that cultural change is evolutionary and not revolutionary.  Select changes in a team – such as removal of bad apples swiftly – and bringing in fresh thinking can change the company’s culture faster than most expect, especially after going through a health crisis.
6. Purpose beats singular focus on business:  It is not just about winning – after all who wants to lose.  But having a higher purpose – to help heal a city – mobilizes all your talent and resources to work together.  In a similar vein, businesses should give priority to a shared purpose – even ahead of business performance metrics such as revenues and margins.  Then, winning is just a by-product.
7. Reallocate resources for transformational change:  It is easier to reallocate and optimize resources when you are at the bottom than when you are at the top.  Hitherto hard decisions become easy ones as there is less opposition to change and a new sense of urgency drives transformational change in organizations.