Even the most successful organizations lose focus and momentum from time to time. It is during these moments of stagnation and poor performance when great leaders shine the brightest.
A Bad Start
Such a moment took place Tuesday, May 4th. The Liverpool futbol club trailed Villarreal 2-0 at halftime. The team’s incomparable manager Jurgen Klopp knew he needed to do something to help the team regain focus and lost momentum.
A Halftime Speech
Klopp leads from a place of positivity. He traditionally begins halftime speeches with highlights of the team’s best plays from the first half, reinforcing their behavior. But there was little to get excited about in this game. No video would be shown. The team was sloppy, lacked composure, and made too many errors.
As reported by The Athletic’s James Pearce in this article, Klopp then used motivational words and tactical changes to inspire his team. The players responded by going onto a 3-2 victory. So what did Klopp say and do which caused the team to regain focus and lost momentum?
The following are four steps he took. They provide a template for any leader facing similar circumstances.
Remain Calm
Klopp did not panic or overreact. Instead, he provided hope. He reminded his team that a tie was still very much in the team’s reach. He actually underestimated what his team could do.
Get Back To The Basics
When tough times come, get back to what you do best. Return to the fundamentals. Klopp told the team, “Play football, play the Liverpool way — how we’ve played all season.” He added the team needed to be “brave, stronger and move smarter… change the momentum.”
Focus On Getting Small Wins Under Your Belt
Every great journey starts with a single step. Klopp advised his team to just focus on getting the next goal. The first step in regaining lost momentum is to focus on getting a small win under your belt. Then another. Then another.
Make Tactical Adjustments
Yes, you need to get back to the basics but “new” generates momentum. Adjustments needed to be made. Klopp said, “We couldn’t find the midfielders in the half-space because they were not there and the front three were too fixed. There was no flexibility, so we had to mix it up to cause them more problems.”
Klopp mixed it up. There are probably a number of leaders reading this article who need to mix it up as well.
He added, “Our full-backs, especially Robbo, were too early, too high in moments and we had five players in one line and nobody for the decisive pass. We had to force ourselves back into the game.”
The Results
What were the results of Jurgen Klopp remaining calm, getting back to the basics, focusing on getting small wins, and making tactical adjustments? His team scored three goals in twelves minutes and won the match.
The same could happen for you.
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