At first glance, the worlds of football and business may seem like they’re polar opposites of each other. However, many of the traits of a successful football team are also the traits of a successful business. As a result, in this post, we’ll take a look at what businesses can learn from the World Cup’s most successful teams.
Bigger than the Sum of its Parts
Sometimes, minnows can beat the big boys. There is no better example of this than Croatia, who made it all the way to the final, defeating football powerhouses such as England and Argentina in the process.
Of course, the individual talents of the players and their coaches played a part in this underdog success, but it also proved that a team is often more than the sum of its parts. Nurturing talent can often be the key to success, both in football and in business.
There’s no reason why smaller businesses who correctly nurture and upskill their employees cannot compete with larger corporations. They could even gain a competitive advantage.
The Global Game?
It’s also interesting that the free flow of people has also helped Croatia. Their star players such as Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool) and Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), all play their football outside their home country.
According to RSM, Brazil are another example of a successful country using this approach, with their research showing that over 1,200 Brazilian footballers now play outside Brazil.
By allowing your business to take a global approach, you could also mirror this success. Ideas from different cultures and regions can help diversify your talent. By adding different experiences, you could also gain new skills and ideas.
A Singular Focus
The ability to focus on a singular common goal is also a factor that successful football clubs and businesses also share. This means that teams and businesses that are highly organised, tactically astute and ruthlessly efficient can take on their larger counter-parts – look no further than underdogs Russia beating a Spain team filled with superstars in the last 16.
This shows us that although talent is important, the ability to correctly structure this talent and unlock its potential is arguably even more important.
To conclude, there’s a lot that businesses can learn from these footballing successes, including a willingness to think globally, a willingness to open up to new ideas, and the ability to organise and unlock talent.
