Lessons from the World Cup for your business – The power of being a team
The 2014 World Cup has been an amazing tournament. It was full of goals, upsets, and triumphs. We saw the likes of Portugal and Spain fall apart and saw the potential of teams such as Costa Rica and Colombia.
One of the key lessons from this world cup that many have drawn is that teams that revolve around one or two individuals tended to do worse than groups that work in unison. The eventual winners of the tournament worked as a collective, no matter how many changes were made by the German coach, the team continued to function at their highest level.
We saw the Brazilian team fall apart when Neymar and Thiago Silvo could not play in the semi-finals. Star players such as Ronaldo of Portugal and Rooney of England seemed aloof and not able to connect, which eventually led to the downfall of their team. The African teams were full of players playing in some of the best leagues in Europe; however, when it came to connecting with their colleagues the chemistry just was not there.
Argentina was a classic example of a team over reliant on a star athlete, Lionel Messi. The fortune of the team swayed on how he was performing in any given game. In the end, with the collective pressure of the entire Argentinian nation on him, he failed to dazzle in the most important game of all.
Germany worked as a collective, this was demonstrated in their ball possession, control and passing. Most of the athletes had been playing together for many years and there was no overriding pressure on any one individual, instead everyone knew that they were part of a well-oiled machine, and should one person falter, another will come in place.
How can we apply these lessons to a business? The answer is quite simple. Invest in making a great team and you will go far. Become over dependent on one or two individuals and you could face catastrophe if they are not functioning at their top level. Make everyone in your business understand how his or her role is critical to the success of the business.
The team mindset starts early; Germany would not have won the world cup today if it had not had a clean start under the leadership of Jurgen Klinsmann who molded German soccer in what it is today. Through his leadership, he emphasized the importance of teamwork and fought hard to avoid making some of their best athletes into egomaniacs. In the world cup, there was no one star. No one hero. The team was brilliant top to bottom. Jerome Boateng was a monster in the back. Manuel Neuer was brilliant in net, winning the Golden Glove award. Philipp Lahm plugged in wherever the team needed him and played intelligently and tenaciously.
Here at Business Setup Consultants, we understand the value of being a part of your team, we work hand in hand with you to resolve your business challenges. Whether you are facing issues with bureaucracy or just need some advise, we have the right team to find the proper solution catered to your individual needs. We know that the power of becoming your own boss comes with great responsibility, it takes time to build a great business and it is fundamentally important that the foundation is strong. A strong start is what propels great businesses to become champions in their own field.