Turnaround Tales

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When I was preparing for my TEDx Talk last year, one of the aspects of team performance that grabbed my attention was the turnaround team-talk, or the trigger for a fightback. The pre-game or half-time team talk from the coach or captain that changed the course of the game or inspired a level of commitment that was almost gladiatorial.

There were some games that immediately sprang to mind; "The Miracle of Istanbul", when Steven Gerrard led Liverpool to an unbelievable Champions League fightback victory in 2005. Scotland coming from 31 points down against England at Twickenham in 2019 to draw 38-38 and retain the Calcutta Cup. Or the New England Patriots reversing a 28-3 deficit to win Super bowl LI in 2017!

Djibrul Cisse who played for Liverpool in that miraculous fightback of 2005 described their turnaround, "Stevie gets up (at half time) and says that?Liverpool is all he has, it is his club, all he has ever known and he does not want to be the laughing stock of the history of the Champions League." The Frenchman added: "... that half time speech will remain imprinted in my mind forever."

"That half time speech will remain imprinted in my mind forever."

Gerrard then scored the first goal in the fightback within 10 mins of the start of the second half. He backed up his fighting talk with an inspirational header to score the first goal for his side. The rest is history as Liverpool went on to stun AC Milan and win on penalties after extra time.

At Twickenham in 2019, England were 31 points ahead at their traditional fortress "HQ". Somehow, Scotland the Brave fought back to 38-31 ahead with minutes to go. The Guardian described it as perhaps the most remarkable comeback in?Six Nations history. England managed to score in the dying minutes and tie the game, but Scotland retained the Cup.

"Perhaps the most remarkable comeback in?Six Nations history!"

Various reports described a heated halftime exchange between Coach Gregor Townsend and Pivot Finn Russell. Russell apparently refused to kick any more and he came out to inspire the incredible fightback with a phenomenal "man-of-the-match" performance which included intercepts and passing skills that almost defied belief! It would not be an exaggeration to say he was instrumental in every score of the second half.

In Super Bowl LI, Tom Brady suddenly fired into life in the second half to produce a performance that will go into National Football League folklore. He inspired a comeback which has been described as one of the greatest of all time.

A reporter noted, "It’s said a team takes on the identity of its leader in times of adversity, and that’s about the best explanation possible for the New England Patriots beating the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime for the greatest Super Bowl comeback ever."

"It’s said a team takes on the identity of its leader in times of adversity."

During 2021 I watched Chasing the Sun which is a documentary about the Springboks winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. This behind the scenes documentary was incredibly inspiring.

Rassie Erasmus was the Springboks coach while Siya Kolisi was the captain.

Kolisi was asked what Rassie had said or done to inspire such a phenomenal turnaround by the Springboks (between 2017 and 2019). He said the coach had turned the player's focus away from themselves, and towards the millions of South Africans who were desperate for hope.

Rassie had helped them realise that they had a chance to transform a nation. He turned perceived pressure into real purpose. This united the entire squad behind a true sense of destiny. The appointment of Kolisi as Captain was also a well-deserved master stroke.

Before the RWC Final against England, Rassie reminded the Boks that the game was no longer about them. It was much bigger. The Springboks won the game 32-12.

"The game was no longer about them. It was much bigger"

In all of these examples, there was a catalyst for the turnaround or the transformation. Someone or something triggered a fightback or a fearless focus which changed the course of a game or a team. Often it is a talismanic figure who walks the talk and ignites the fightback.

The mood of these teams went from hopeless to hopeful to inspirational. Often it just takes a spark to start a fire but many teams wait for someone else to light the match. Why wait? Why not be the spark for your team...

What is Moodset??Moodset is about what you feel and sense, the atmosphere, the energy, the heart and soul of a group in a certain place.?Some call it performance climate.?Moodset is as important as mindset for inspiring excellence.

If you enjoyed this article, I would encourage you to check out my popular book on performance improvement;?Accelerating Automatic!

Tim Wigham?is Head of Performance at Exceed Energy. He is an Amazon#1 bestselling co-author of?Purposeful People?and a?TEDx Speaker?on the topic of Moodset and Team Performance.