I tell stories about how we help families and have for, you know, eight or nine generations

and make sure everybody understands, hey, they're part of being part of the story because

it's being part of something bigger than yourself, right? That's the essence of leadership, right?

How do you get people to work together to do things that are bigger than any of us could do

individual? As a leader, you got to understand your numbers. But the real question is, can you make those numbers mean something?

Welcome to How Leaders Lead.

I'm David Novak, and every week I have conversations with the very best leaders in the world.

To help you become the best leader that you could be, my guest today is Roger Crandall, the chairman, CEO, and president of Mass Mutual.

Now, Roger operates in a highly technical

world with lots of data and complex financial products. The numbers that drive his business are vital,

and he understands them inside and out. But he also understands those numbers can't just stay

stuck on a spreadsheet. They need context. they need stories, they need to mean something.

You're about to hear from a leader who knows how to take the numbers and revenue goals

and bring them to life with real human stories.

It's how he engages and coaches people on a level that a lot of leaders just simply miss, especially

analytical leaders. So let's get into it. Here's my conversation with my good friend and soon

to be yours, Roger Cranble. You're a diehard Yankees fan, and yet Mass Mutual is a signature partner of the Boston Red Sox in Finway Park.

I mean, you're named Roger after Roger Maris.

How in the heck did you let this happen? Oh, it's a sad tale,

but one that's been great for Mass Mutual. Look, I'm a baseball fan, and you can't have the

Yankees without having the Red Sox. Co-opetition and competition is how the world works. So when we

had the opportunity to put the Mass Mutual brand and partner with the Red Sox also locally with what we do for our communities, it was a no-brainer. It's just the way the cookie crumbled. I'm running a Massachusetts company, not a New York company. So, but it's been a great partnership. That just makes way too much common sense. My dad was a Red Sox fan, so you do have that.

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