Several years back I began a deep-dive into the leadership lessons you can learn from European soccer. The level of intensity, pressure, expectations, elite talent, and how entire communities lived and died with the success of their clubs attracted me. I wanted to know what it is like to lead in those type of environments. […]
Tag Archives | Soccer
One Thing which Stalls an Organization’s Mission and Vision (and One Thing which Ignites It)
Michael Lombardi said in his recent outstanding coaching session, “Inertia is not a lack of action but an inability to recognize the appropriate action.” Allow me to give you an example. There is a difference between pivot decisions and strategic decisions. Pivot decisions are the proverbial fork in the road. You will either go left […]
A Good Leader’s Biggest Virtue
There are many virtues a leader can have. The following is just a short list: Honesty Respect Courage Forgiveness Kindness Temperance Modesty Justice Love Gratitude and I could go on and on. As a leader, I am having so much fun watching the UEFA European Championship in soccer. I am mesmerized by the passion, high […]
“If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here anymore.” – 4 Harsh Realities for Leaders
A Sobering Statement On Sunday, England begins the knockout stage of the Euro 2024 Tournament against Slovakia. Heading into the competition, their manager Gareth Southgate said in this interview, “If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here anymore. Then it might be the last chance. I think about half of the national coaches leave […]
13 Things Highly Successful Coaches Do To Make Others Better
Everybody gets better with a coach. But exactly what is it good coaches do? The following are thirteen things highly successful coaches do to make others better: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta In this article from The Athletic, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said of team captain, Martin Odegaard, “We don’t know the level he can reach. What […]
3 Leadership Lessons From Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, Soccer’s Fastest Rising Star
This past Sunday at the 90:29 mark, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham continued his ascent as soccer’s fastest rising star by scoring a game-stoppage goal against Barcelona to give Madrid its 36th La Liga title. In addition to this game-winner, Bellingham had a record-breaking 14 goals in his first 15 team appearances. This level of performance […]
The Dwight Yorke Effect and why it’s dangerous if leaders don’t know what it is.
In 1999, Manchester United won what is known as “The Treble.” It is the triple crown of Premier League soccer. This historic team won the Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup. An Unusual Request As the following season approached, striker Dwight Yorke approached the team’s legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson with an unusual request. […]