Similarities Between Soccer and Corporate Business

Since the early 1800’s, when Britain first brought soccer (aka football) to the world, this sporting tradition has spread around the globe. But can eleven men kicking a leather ball teach the business world how to improve their teamwork? The answer is yes, and this is how.

In the game of soccer, very few teams have achieved any success without teamwork. Part of that teamwork is that each team member has a defined role, but also provides support to others when needed.

Teamwork is key to an organization’s success. Research shows that when people work together in a team, they can achieve far more than an individual can.

Benefits of Effective Communication in the Workplace

Communication, both on and off the field is vital. Before the game, the manager calls a team meeting similar to a monthly conference call. During the meeting, the manager discusses tactics. Each member has a role to play. The important thing is to work together. Communication between team members is vital to the success of the team, especially related to fulfilling an end strategy.

Multi-Nationalities Bound by One Language

Today, it is not unusual to have multiple nationalities in one team. The challenge for new players from a different country is not only getting used to their adopted country’s culture, but also learning how to speak the same language. In the corporate world today, many firms are not just based in one location but spread throughout the globe. For there to be a successful collaborative culture in these international firms, there needs to be a common language spoken.

Importance of Flexibility in the Workplace

Adaptability and flexibility are also important in teamwork. Having team members that are able to perform a variety of roles can be of great help to the team. As Dr. Simon Hayward, CEO of leadership consultancy at Cirrus says, part of a collaborative culture is having employees that are prepared to work to benefit the organization. Hayward also says that having flexible members of a team better equips an organization to cope with change. Let’s say a team member is overwhelmed with work, having a colleague that can take over some of the responsibility is definitely an advantage for any firm. In soccer, flexible players that can operate in more than one position are treasured by managers and add to the team’s possibilities.

The Goalkeeper Got Sent Off…What Now?

In soccer, there are a limited amount of substitutes. If a player gets sent off, or sin-binned, another one has to take his place. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes the player that is sent off is the goalkeeper. In a match that took place in 2006, Chelsea’s team faced Reading’s. Chelsea’s keeper needed replacing in the first minute of play. The replacement keeper also got injured, so up stepped the Chelsea captain defender, John Terry. Luckily for both Chelsea and Terry, he was not called into action in the final seconds of the game.

Importance of Leadership in the Workplace

Leadership skills in the workplace are essential in order to move a business forward. In the modern corporate world, people are not necessarily born wearing a golden badge labeled ‘future CEO’ imprinted in their DNA. Great leaders use their insatiable drive and entrepreneurial flair to make it to the top of the corporate mountain. One great example of a great business leader is Larry Ellison, CO- CEO of Oracle. From the soccer field, Harry Kane is seen by his teammates as their inspiration on the field.

Larry Ellison faced plenty of obstacles in his life including being born to a poor family among countless other hurdles. By the time he stepped down as CEO of Oracle in 2014, he had amassed a wealth of $46.2 billion.

What leadership qualities did Larry Ellison bring to the workplace?

Larry Ellison was a superb communicator and made sure every one of his staff was pulling in the same direction. He also inspired the competitive drive in his teams. Every day he made sure to inject a bit of humor into managing his staff, which created an environment that was enjoyable to work in. Larry Ellison lived by the old adage, “We don’t do things right, we do the right things”. To him it was about making priorities, the ‘nice to have’ didn’t interest him.

The importance of a team leader on the soccer field

In the game of soccer, there are plenty of stories of leaders that faced many tests. One moment a player can be sitting on the couch watching his national team play. Fast forward four years and the same player can be captaining his side in the very same global tournament. This is the story of the England national soccer captain Harry Kane. Now Harry Kane is not only heavily relied upon to score goals, but acts as an inspiring leader on the soccer field.

Almost everyone admires Harry Kane’s leadership skills and soccer playing ability. Talking with the British paper, the Daily Mail, Manager of the national team, Gareth Southgate raved about Kane’s self-belief. Kane also has an unselfish nature and leads by example. Research by Bain and CO demonstrates that these qualities encourage increased levels of output and hunger within the team.

What to Take Away

Teamwork is a key part of any organization or soccer team. When people work together and foster a collaborative spirit, this leads them to exceed what they can do as an individual. Many find that working alongside others stimulates their creativity and ideas leading to increased productivity and positive results.

By: Jonathan Gordon