"It is like playing football"
Renuu Tandon, ICF PCC, EMCC SP, SHRM-SCP, GPHR
ChangeMaker || Systemic Team & Leadership Coach || ICF PCC, EMCC SP || Gallup, Hogan || Fellow at Institute of Coaching, McLean/ Harvard Medical School || ICF Pune Chapter Leader
A few days ago, the Head of one of India’s leading refineries and I were chatting over lunch. I asked him, revenues aside, how did his brand make it to the Fortune 500 list.
Very calmly he said , “It’s like playing football(read soccer)”.
I often hear how work teams are akin to sports team and in India nothing beats cricket! Yet this highly accomplished leader mentioned football and not cricket.
My next question obviously was why football and not cricket. He said, “In my line of business each and every team member has to touch the ball and direct it towards the goal post. In cricket you have one star who either bats or bowls exceedingly well and one player can make the difference.”
On my flight back home, I contemplated over this.
I lead a large team at work and we chase some crazy mandates. Reflecting over countless instances I couldn’t help but agree – teams are about collective responsibility, ownership and accomplishments. All players are on the ground at the same time, chasing the same objective either offense or defence.
While one player may score a goal…
it takes everyone on the field to run in the same direction
it takes everyone to nudge and move the ball forward in the right direction
there is collective brilliance
That was my leadership lesson on how I would coach my team to play like a football team.
Customer-Value-Led-Growth || Manager- Customer Success at BrowserStack
5 年That's a nicely related example by your leader friend Renuu Tandoan, GPHR,SHRM-SCP. I believe each member in the team should have a clearly defined KRA and alignment with the process, like a goal-keeper, defender, mid-fielder or a front-line attacker. If processes are not clear or are changed frequently, confusions de-align the team, KRA and the goals.