According to legendary football coach Vince Lombardi someone can establish a strong winning team by teaching the fundamentals. That applies in the business world as well as in sports.

At first, a player must know the basics of the game and how to play his position. Second, you’ve got to keep him in line. That is called discipline. The men must play as a team, not as a bunch of individuals. There is no room for prima donnas.

However, we must point out that although many coaches with good ball clubs know the fundamentals and have plenty of discipline, they still do not win the game. Then you come to the third component. If you are going to play together as a team, then you must care for one another. You must love each other. Each player must think about the next guy and say to himself: “if I do not block that man, James is going to get his legs broken. I must do my job well so that he can do his.   

According to Vince Lombardi the difference between mediocrity and greatness is the feeling these guys have for each other. Most people call it team spirit. You know you’ve got a winning team when the players are imbued with that special feeling. Every time a football player goes out to play his trade, he is called to play from the ground up – from the soles of his feet right up to his head. Every inch of him must play. Some players play with their heads, and you need to be wise to be number one in anything you try. But most importantly, you’ve got to play with your heart. If you are lucky enough to find a player with much head and heart, he will never come off the field second.

In conclusion, prima donnas might have many talents, yet this makes them relatively ineffective managers. Very few people are willing to do more than they are expecting. Most managers need to learn how to use the availability of information. I believe that the key to success is not information but people.

Unfortunately, most of the workforce is the 9 am to 5 pm gang. Managers and players must always apply a combination of hard work and big dreams.

Georgios Ardavanis 17/11/2022