Scoring Success in Business: Leadership Lessons from the Soccer Pitch

For the past six years, I’ve had the privilege of being involved with my niece and nephew’s soccer teams. What started with me simply taking them to practices and pitching in wherever I could, turned into a very unexpected opportunity. When the assistant coach position opened on my nephew’s team, I jumped at the chance to coach. I had no prior coaching experience and was truly unqualified. My decision was primarily driven by the desire to spend more time with my niece and nephew in a learning environment I’d come to love. Little did I know how much this team would eventually mean to me and the many leadership lessons it would provide me as a business owner and leader.

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1. The Power of Positivity and Support

My title might be assistant coach, but the kids call me their hype man. I may not be the mastermind behind the team’s strategies, but I excel as their biggest cheerleader. I’m always ready with a high five (and a retake if it’s a weak one) or a pat on the back when they sub out. I do everything I can to make sure they know I’m glad they’re part of our team and that I’m here to help them succeed.

In coaching as in business, leadership isn’t about giving orders. It’s about fostering an environment where individuals feel valued and respected. We set the tone for our workplaces and lead by example to create an uplifting culture. Recognizing the contributions of individual team members and expressing gratitude go a long way in building strong, cohesive dynamics. Just as I ensure my young players know they are an integral part of the team, business leaders have the responsibility of making their teams feel valued.

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2. Resilience and Teaching Resilience

Earlier this season, my niece broke her arm after an opposing team member made an illegal slide tackle. A red card was not issued by the referee, and no one took the child aside to have a word with him about unsportsmanlike and dangerous conduct. It was disappointing because, ultimately, we’re supposed to be teaching kids how to be good citizens on and off the field. I was frustrated and sad that my niece had to endure that, but, amazingly, she didn’t shed a single tear. She glanced down at her arm, cut her losses, and is now just eager for the doctor’s go-ahead to get back in the game. The other kids on the team played the rest of the game completely unfazed and continued to meet the competition head-on.

In business, and especially in leading a startup or implementing new systems, tools, or processes, resilience is invaluable. We aren’t only challenged to cultivate our own resilience but to instill it in our teams. The ability to bounce back from setbacks and remain undeterred in the face of hardship or unforeseen obstacles can’t be overstated as a leadership quality.

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3. Nurturing Passion and Growth

As a pseudo-parent to my niece and nephew, I’ve experienced the immense pride that comes from seeing your kids find a passion for something, commit to it, and then excel. On his very first day out on the field, my nephew was so shy, he could hardly look his coach in the eye. Now, he sleeps with his soccer ball and is on one of the best select teams in Texas for his age group.

The head coach has been with this team since they were four years old. His goal was never to churn out superstar athletes, but rather to give kids the opportunity to be part of a team and foster their love for the sport. Over time, they’ve displayed an exceptional aptitude for the game, leaving us in awe. Our players make it a point to attend every practice and game ready to put in maximum effort and learn as they go.

At Rockerbox, we recruit brilliant people who are driven to succeed. When the game starts, everybody’s there to win. We provide tools and support, and then step back and let them do their jobs. The greatest honor of leadership is getting to nurture the passions of others and encourage the pursuit of their goals. When given the footholds, resources, and opportunities they need to excel, the entire team benefits. You hired your team members for a reason. Support them from the sidelines, and watch them grow and thrive.

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4. Trust the Process

I won’t go into detail about how dealing with the attention span of nine-year-olds has tested me. I do, however, want to mention the importance of patience and trusting the process because it is my biggest takeaway from coaching. The bottom line is: progress requires commitment, repetition, passion, and learning from failures. We do the same drills in every practice so that muscle memory kicks in on game day. Let me tell you when it does kick in, it gives me so much pride.

I’ve had a similar privilege in leading Rockerbox and building out our technology. It’s taken two years to develop our systems and processes and dial them into exactly what our clients need. The roadblocks we’ve encountered have required seemingly endless amounts of patience. Now that our systems are integrated, largely automated, serving our clients well, and have truly taken on lives of their own, we have the satisfaction of knowing we stuck with our task at hand and saw it through to fruition.

Over the course of this past soccer season, my dual roles as an assistant soccer coach and a business leader have reinforced that effective leadership extends beyond titles and job descriptions. It’s about inspiring, motivating, and fostering a positive environment that equips and supports your team as they reach their goals. Whether I’m on the soccer field or in a Google Meets meeting, the fundamental lessons of leadership remain constant and have profoundly rewarding effects.

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If you are interested in learning what the Rockerbox team can do, visit the Rockerbox website or send me a message.