14 Lessons Highly Successful Leaders Know About Building Great Teams

“We’re still in a mind-set that if we score the first goal, it’s ‘Oh, now we have to defend it.’..I want a second one.  There’s no reason to give Ghana the game.  Add the second one, and just break their neck.” – U.S. national soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann

Tonight the United States national soccer team will play the biggest game in its history as it takes on the nation of Argentina in the Copa America semi-finals.  In my month-long look at Apex Leaders, those who are at the top of their profession, this affords us the opportunity to learn leadership from United States head coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl profiled Klinsmann in its June 30th, 2014 edition.  As I read the article, I gleaned the following 14 Lessons Highly Successful Leaders Know About Building Great Teams:

1. Building A Great Team Is Not An Easy Task – Goalkeeper Tim Howard said, “Football is cruel sometimes.”
2. Great Leaders Must Raise The Standard Of Excellence – Klinsmann became head coach in July 2011.  Since then there are no longer any moral victories for U.S. soccer.
3. Radical Changes Must Be Made – Klinsmann made radical changes.  In March, he fired longtime right-hand man Martin Vasquez.  He also changed the team’s formation 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2.
4. Hard Decisions Must Be Made – Klinsmann made hard decisions.  The toughest decision he made after taking over was dropping of Landon Donovan from the team.  He was nationally-ridiculed for this decision.
5. Young Talent Must Be Acquired – Great teams are green and growing.  Klinsmann recognized younger talent.  The players who replaced Donovan and others with were ages 21, 20 and 19.
6. Young Talent Must Then Be Developed – Getting younger is not enough.  Klinsmann developed younger talent.  He is also the United States technical director.
7. Current Reality Must Be Properly Evaluated And Improvements Made – Klinsmann said, “Soccer is an environment where you have ongoing changes, always based on the moment, when you look forward and see the areas where you need to improve.”  “
8. Current Talent Must Be Properly Evaluated – Klinsmann goes on, “You constantly evaluate the value of everyone in that process…you depend on the phases that players are going through.  Are they on a down phase?  Are they rising?”
9. You Must Be Extremely Confident In Your Decisions – Klinsmann adds, “You always have to be clear with yourself that this is what you’re 100% convinced of doing.  You have a clean conscience.  But you’ve got to be 100% sure.”
10. Your Decisions And Changes Must Then Work – What gives Klinsmann credibility is most of his unpopular decisions worked.  Otherwise, you will lose credibility with your team.
11. A Winning Mindset Must Be Developed – In what could be considered as a cold-blooded approach to leadership, Klinsmann declared, “We’re still in a mind-set that if we score the first goal, it’s ‘Oh, now we have to defend it.’..I want a second one.  There’s no reason to give Ghana the game.  Add the second one, and just break their neck.”
12. Great Leaders Are Humble Enough To Learn From Great Leaders Of Other Disciplines – Klinsmann has learned much about leadership from Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
13. Your Team Must Be Positioned For Success – Matt Besler said, “I think we did a great job not allowing him (Cristiano Ronaldo) in dangerous spots.”
14. To Build A Great Team You Must Be Relentlessly Positive – Klinsmann is described by Wahl as “relentlessly positive.”

What is one thing you learned from Jurgen Klinsmann which will make you a better leader?

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