Sunday, August 1, 2010

More lessons from the world's largest sporting event

Andy Birol shares his thoughts on the lessons of the World Cup

  • Preparation? The Cup had teams who played well together, like the U.S., and those who didn’t, like England. Is your company focused on a common goal or too busy pursuing individual agendas?
  • Coaching? The French team walked out on their coach after he exerted his authority, while Maradona created a cult of leadership around his Argentina team. What would your team do to you when faced with pressure?
  • Fans? Is your team like Ghana who united their fan base across tribal Africa or like Brazil who booed them upon their return without the Cup? Do your customers really like you or just pay you because they have to?
  • Commentators? Does the media treat your company like first-to-be-eliminated Cameroon (“They’ll be home before the postcards arrive” ) or like the Spanish, who consistently kept a low profile, played ever-so-well and took home the Cup and the world’s respect.

leaders running businesses in the age of social media, we share many of these same challenges and opportunities.