In this post I deviate a little from technical factors or those specific to market research to focus on management factors through the example that Pep Guardiola is carrying out in the direction of the Barça first soccer team.
Surely many of you are not Barça fans, you may not even like football, you are in luck since we are not going to talk about football but about people management and commitment to a project. What happened this year at Barça is truly worthy of a “case study” in the most prestigious business schools in the world.
In all companies we should have a Guardiola or several of them in our teams since this is the key to the success or failure of a project.
The values that this group of players (=”employees”) transmit to us are thanks to the resolution of the formula with which I title this post.
Effort through development and tenacity to achieve the objectives, on the positive level fight and enjoy daily work, on the negative side never give up before possible unforeseen events or negative situations.
Modesty As a recipe for action, respect towards the team, towards our clients, towards our suppliers, avoiding egocentrism in success and collectivizing it from the achievements. “The secret of wisdom, power and knowledge is humility” (Ernest Hemingway).
Commitment with the project, believe in it, enjoy it, feel part of it, the best talent is the one that arises from commitment. Provide responsibility and challenges to the work team so that the goal achieved is everyone's pride.
Motivation that reinforces the team's self-esteem and that is developed through the ability to make decisions. Taking Maslow as an example, the search for self-realization is a vital journey, where work and existence have some value, a contribution to others more than to oneself. Fleeing from the selfishness of generating value as a shareholder, the search for meaning and a motivating purpose that goes beyond the generation of profits.
Leadership as an expression of guidance, as a management style of leading to a goal, from the hierarchy based on support, from the will to generate organizational culture, from honesty and where the pressure of work becomes a stimulating task. The lynchpin of a performance-based business culture is to exceed what others expect of oneself.
“It's not about a magnetic personality, that may just be a way of speaking. Nor about making friends or influencing people, that is flattery. “Leadership is about making people look higher, people’s performance reaching the standard of their potential, and building personalities beyond their personal limitations.” (Peter Drucker)
Thanks to Jordi Aymerich, Jordi Canadell and Sebastián Fernández for being Hamilton's “guardiolas” and following the formula to the letter in all its points. They make one a better person.
