A leadership lesson I learned from American football

A leadership lesson I learned from American football

At the end of the 1990s, as my active football-playing days came to an end, I spent a few years volunteering in the management of an Oberliga football team in Braunschweig, Freie Turner Braunschweig.

American football was hugely popular in Braunschweig at the time, and the Braunschweig Lions had just won the German Bowl for the third consecutive time, only ten years after the club was founded.

I wanted to understand how a sport and a team had become so successful so quickly, virtually from a standing start, when I met the Lions’ manager. I hoped to discover which success factors could transfer to managing an ambitious competitive football team.

During that conversation, I learned a lesson that has stayed with me far beyond my voluntary work in amateur sport. The Lions’ manager told me:

“If you want your team to play in the Champions League tomorrow, your management team must already be leading it at that level today.”

So, to everyone aiming to exploit their industry’s growth potential over the coming years or pursue excellence with their team:

At what level is your leadership team already playing today?

With that in mind: have a great weekend!