An Iconic Figure
With Portugal leading Turkiye by a score of 2-0 at 54:56 in the first round of the UEFA Tournament, the team’s most famous player Cristiano Ronaldo received a pass and broke into the clear. The only thing standing between him and a certain score was Türkiye goalie Altay Bayindir. For an elite striker like Ronaldo, there could not be a better and easier opportunity for a goal.
But then the player known for his selfishness (both good and bad), did something unexpected and extraordinary.
As you will see in the video below, Ronaldo passed the ball off to teammate Bruno Fernandes for an easy score.
An Overwhelming Response
Afterwards, the FoxSports Soccer crew were joyfully surprised over Ronaldo’s generosity and spirit of teamwork. The following were their comments:
- Ari Hingst – “I’ve never seen this in the history of soccer before… It’s shows what part he plays in this team. He’s not selfish. He’s so important to this squad. He’s a team player and he definitely showed it.”
- Giorgio Chiellini – “It’s a big message from Ronaldo to the group… In the moment, to do something for the group, he did it… This was more important than a goal, especially to Bruno Fernandez”
- Alexis Lalas – “What has made Ronaldo great is his beautiful arrogance. It has fueled him…. Selfishness is a quality for strikers and it’s what made him great. And in that moment, I think it could possibly change the perception we have from the outside but much more important the perception inside (the locker room). That is a teammate, that is someone you want to go to battle with, that will in that moment to recognize that for the good of the team, as opposed to the good of Ronaldo, that is the pass that needs to be made.”
8 Qualities of Generous Leaders
The following are eight qualities of generous leaders we learn from the comments above:
- Generous leaders are sadly rare and often surprising in today’s world.
- Generous leaders are important to their team.
- Generous leaders send a message to their entire organization by their actions.
- Generosity changes people’s perception of you.
- Generous leaders generate trust and loyalty.
- Generosity shows you are a team player.
- Generous leaders focus on the good of others rather than themselves.
- Generous leaders often have a high EQ and IQ because there are specific times generosity is needed most.
As a leader, if you lack trust, loyalty, respect, and your team has a poor perception of you, is it possible you lack a spirit of generosity? If so, start making decisions today for the good of others rather than yourself and see how things change.
Interestingly, the narrative of Cristiano Ronaldo’s selfishness may be false. Allow me to make a case with the following Euro records he currently holds:
- Most appearances – 27
- Most appearances as a team captain – 18
- Most wins – 14
- Most goals – 14
- Most assists – 7
- Most chances created – 46
- In addition, this was his 47th international assist
Finally, like many aging superstars, there seems to be a growing appreciation for what we will soon no longer have. In addition to the affection given to him by the media, notice the pictures below of young fans showing their admiration for Ronaldo and in return, the generosity he shows them.
Maybe I should add a 9th point – Generous leaders will be long-remembered.
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