Amol Titus: Corporate lessons from sporting legends

Amol Titus   |  Wed, 07/09/2008 10:49 AM  |  Management

To the serious observers of international soccer Spain's recent triumph in Euro 2008 was not a big surprise. For over the past decade they have seen the foundations being laid - a strong youth development program, persistence with a distinctive brand and style of play and the selection of a tough, straight talking but fair-minded father figure-cum-team coach Luis Aragones to spearhead the challenge. Andy Roxburgh, technical director of UEFA, is one such serious observer and he summed up the Spanish victory - "They are continuing to try and develop the next generation. For more than a decade now the top youth teams in Europe have been Spanish. In the finals they stuck to their philosophy -- if you are not big in stature, then you have to be quick, clever, technically gifted and wonderfully creative."

Aragones made sure that competence was built at all levels. Most experts agreed that a post tournament Euro XI would include Iker Casillas in goal, Sergio Ramos and Carles Puyol in defense, Marcos Senna and Xavi Hernandez in mid field and David Villa as a striker. But the real competitive advantage was the team's bench strength with players like Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres capable of walking into any other European side and more than competently substituting their colleagues. In fact Torres replaced top scorer Villa in the final game and scored the superb winning goal.

Thus through careful preparation and talent development Spain were able to generate a strong sense of self-belief which carried them undefeated through the tournament. In the process they also effectively exorcised the demons of the past 44 years when talented Spanish teams had shown up in international tournaments only to fizzle out in the early rounds. This time around the team was tightly knit and a combination of skill and determination saw them conquer more fancied opponents like Italy and Germany.

Having reached the coveted No. 1 ranking in World Soccer Spain will face the challenge of dominating the sport. And here there are valuable lessons to be learnt from the Chinese badminton teams who have redefined the sport and opened up big gaps over opponents. In the recently held Thomas and Uber Cup championships in Jakarta, Chinese players like Lin Dao, Bao Chunlai, Xie Xinfang and Lu Lan wowed many Indonesian fans through their fitness, mental strength and big match temperament (performing literally in pressure cooker situations in the Senayan stadium with thousands of fans rooting for the home team). Despite producing generations of stars since the 80s the Chinese badminton teams do not show any sense of complacency or underestimation of opponents.

It is these traits that the U.S. basketball dream team is focusing on as it heads for the Beijing Olympics. The team picks include Kobe Bryant (Lakers), Lebron James (Cleveland), Dwyane Wade (Miami), Chris Paul (New Orleans), Carmelo Anthony (Denver) and Dwight Howard (Orlando) among others. Jerry Colangelo, Managing Director of USA Basketball summed up the emphasis on focused teamwork and not individual mavericks or stars when he opined -- "It's already been proven that a group of all-stars does not necessarily ensure that you're going to win. You need scorers, you need size, you need distribution and you need role players."

The above three examples highlight what it takes to forge a winning combination, to convert a team of "perennial also-rans" into a formidable unit that can then dominate competition over an extended period of time. When company managers gaze forlornly at league tables or market share stats and wonder why they remain laggards and continue to fail to catch up probably the single biggest factor is the quality, composition and continuity of their teams. And the leaders at the helm must focus like Luis Aragones in inspiring a common sense of purpose and self belief instead of being self-obsessed.

Equally companies need to imbibe lessons in quality, energy, consistency and perseverance. Here also it is the world of contemporary sport rather than the muddling corporate sector beset by mediocrity, scams and falling standards, that provides illuminating lessons. Roger Federer's mastery of tennis epitomizes quality and perhaps there is none more qualified to comment on this that the legendary men's grand slam winner Rod Laver who said recently - "Roger's got too many shots, too much talent in one body. It's hardly fair that one person can do all this -- his backhands, his forehands, volleys, serving, his court position...the way he moves around the court, you feel like barely touching the ground, and that's the sign of a great champion. And his anticipation, I guess, is the one thing that we all admire."

But the great drama in modern tennis is how this exceptional quality is starting to get tamed by a rival who possesses energy levels that can only be described as truly astonishing. Rafael Nadal in 2008 appears to have raised the level of on court intensity to previously unseen levels and by doing so he has achieved a 12-6 career head-to-head with Federer. Herein lies a key lesson in business -- nothing is unbeatable or insurmountable if the passion and drive for self-improvement is mounted with unprecedented standards of energy and commitment to excellence.

Whilst many are unnerved by obstacles, Tiger Woods claims that they only make him "smile". And in terms of consistency -- more career Major and PGA tour wins than any other active golfer, the youngest to achieve the career Grand Slam, youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments, No. 1 world ranking for most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks -- this is a tiger who not only walks but truly rocks the talk. His never say die approach, risk taking ability and ability to raise his game in crunch situations are legendary and have left his opponents mesmerized. His equivalent in the swimming pool is Michael Phelps who won eight medals, including six gold, in the Athens Olympics and appears all set to set the Beijing "water cube" ablaze in August.

Wanting to make a big corporate splash and grab the attention of entrenched rivals? Well, learn then from the exploits of Lewis Hamilton who has shaken up the establishment favorites since his debut in the Formula One racing circuit where he lost the driver's championship only by a whisker in the final race in 2007. The young Hamilton has shown how not to be overwhelmed by competition or history or the predictions of the so-called experts. Famous for his questioning and keenness to learn, Hamilton provides some classical lessons for new entrants -- be an aggressive not tentative in learning skills, setting goals and executing plans. As in F1 in the cutthroat world of business it's a podium finish that counts - those struggling to qualify or relegated to the back of the grid cannot command the attention of either spectators or consumers.

But sometimes events or happenings deal you a rough hand putting you at a disadvantage. Many companies in such a condition prefer to resign themselves to a substandard plod accepting their lot with an almost fatalistic resignation rather than firming up their resolve, picking up the pieces and fighting. Like Oscar Pistorius who is a double amputee sprinter from South Africa with big dreams. Pistorius competes with two prosthetic limbs and wants to compete on equal terms with able-bodied competitors. Like compatriot Natalie DuToit who lost her left leg in an accident in 2001 but who will be seen in swimming action at the Olympics. British runner Paula Radcliffe has returned from pregnancy (during which period she regularly trained for up to three hours a day) to blaze new records in long distance running. These role models show how grit and courage are required to propel aspirations.

Unlike most corporate bosses great athletes also show a fine sense of timing when it comes to handing over, retiring and moving on. In recent times Michael Schumacher in F1, Justin Henin in tennis, Shane Warne and Brian Lara in cricket have made dignified and graceful exits that have enhanced their statures and legacies.

Sports also highlight how it is genuine performance over a length of time -- not PR claims or untrustworthy surveys or media spinning -- that distinguishes true winners. All the above would be acknowledged by their peers as being great achievers worthy of respect and admiration. Chest thumping looks inspirational in the world of sports. In the corporate world it often ends up looking comical.

The columnist is a management professional based in Jakarta. Next month's Insight continues the exploration of role models by taking inspirations from the creative world of arts and design.

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