Six Leadership Lessons from the Savannah Bananas

November 6, 2025 / Kittie Watson / No Comments

“Every game is someone’s first game. Every fan deserves to feel like they matter.” – Jesse Cole

At Innolect, we help clients discover practical strategies to enhance workplace effectiveness and employee engagement. We’re always inspired by organizations that build strong, vibrant cultures, and few have captured hearts and imaginations like the Savannah Bananas.

They’re not just a baseball team; they’re a masterclass in leadership, culture and fan engagement. In Fans First, Jesse Cole shares a bold playbook for putting people at the center, prioritizing the experience of teams, clients and communities.

In 2020, Cole shook up baseball with Banana Ball, a fast-paced, joy-filled version of the game designed to make fans the stars. His approach offers powerful lessons for leaders in any field:

Dare to Be Different
The Bananas broke every rule of traditional baseball and won hearts doing it. Leaders who challenge norms unlock the most meaningful innovation.
Know Your Audience
They don’t try to please everyone. They serve fans who crave fun. Great leaders know who they’re leading and design experiences for them.
Put People First
Build deep relationships and conversations. Leadership is service—building trust, connection and empowering others to shine.
Embrace Joy
Their culture is playful and human. Leaders who create joy build teams that thrive.
Experiment Constantly
The Bananas test, learn, and evolve. Inspiring leaders create safe spaces for team curiosity and bold ideas.
Scale with Intention
Before going national, they perfected local experiences. Smart growth is purposeful and grounded in listening to feedback and refining before scaling.

Bottom line: To lead well, you must be your team’s biggest fan. Celebrate them. Support them. Believe in them. When you lead with heart, creativity and a people-first mindset, you don’t just build a team, you build a foundation for lasting impact.

How Can Innolect Help?

At Innolect, we believe that the principles demonstrated by the Savannah Bananas can transform any organization. By daring to be different, knowing your audience, putting people first, embracing joy, experimenting constantly and scaling with intention, you can create a vibrant and engaging workplace culture.

Our team is dedicated to helping you implement these leadership lessons to enhance workplace effectiveness and employee engagement. Let us partner with you to build a foundation for lasting impact, where every team member feels valued and every experience is designed with people at the center. Together, we can achieve extraordinary results.

Marley Bollinger, Workplace Effectiveness Practice Leader