There’s a great saying from Michael Jordan, “Talent wins games, but it’s teamwork and intelligence that win’s championships‘.
I am reminded of this as I watch the football games in the FIFA World cup, where there already have been quite a few upsets, in which the more talented teams have been beaten by by better team work, or where much more talented teams have struggled because of their lack of team work.
When we achieve great team work we have 11 people playing as one, everyone covering for each other, working their socks off with everyone giving 110%, which will lead to a great performance. One that even a team with the most gifted personal will struggle to overcome if they themselves lack team work.
The Costa Rica team where a great example of this where they were outstanding against both Uruguay and Italy, and they now look like they could win the group, whereas prior to the start of the tournament they would have been thought of as the poorest team in the group in terms of talent.
But as we have seen during the tournament their team work has been excellent and has helped them see off two of the better sides, and I suspect that they will beat England tomorrow to finish top of the group.
As they progress though they will come up against teams that have both better talent and great teamwork, such as Holland or Germany who are now two of the main favourites to win the tournament.
Having just watched Brazil, they seem to lack the teamwork that they showed last year in the confederation cup, and they seem to be relying on their superstars, which against poorer opposition might see them through, but as they progress they will need to find good team work or they will lose out.
As Michael Jordan says over the course of a championship it will be the team with the best teamwork and intelligence that will triumph, and I fully agree with him.
Gordon Tredgold
#Leadership Principles
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