Marcus Richards
When considering starting up your own business and hiring employees, you might be thrust into an unfamiliar position of managing a team. There will be a number of thoughts racing through your head. What is the right way to lead? What sort of leader will I be? How do I avoid becoming a David Brent-like figure? There are great examples in the world of business to have grown their companies into behemoths of industry, such as Sir Richard Branson. He has his own unique style of approach, which has been mimicked by many start-up bosses.
One area that new bosses could look to is the success of the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp in the world of football. Both men have driven their respective clubs to new heights, displaying not only brilliance on the field, but sustained success. Guardiola’s Manchester City will start the next Premier League season as the leading contenders in the football betting odds at 4/7 to win the crown for a fifth time in seven seasons under the Spaniard, as you can see from looking at the best betting sites.
Guardiola is blessed with a talented squad, but he has sustained and delivered multiple titles in his six-year tenure to date. Klopp too has brought continued success to Liverpool with key attributes that all great leaders require. We’ll now highlight these key characteristics that have allowed these men to remain at the top of their field, in an industry where the shelf life of managers can be short-lived.
Communication
Every leader has to be able to communicate effectively to ensure that their employees are able to follow their instructions. Guardiola is so effective in this regard. The Spaniard employs quite a complicated system in the world of football, meaning that every player must know their job to the fine details. He communicates on a group level as well as with individuals with a calm and studious approach.
Guardiola does not raise his voice often in team meetings, as was evident in Manchester City’s All or Nothing documentary on Amazon Prime. When he does, he uses it to cause maximum effect in key moments. The City players never look in doubt when on the field, which is a testament to the communication skills of their manager. It is something that no matter what your field, you should look to improve and refine to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your employees.
Accountability
All managers are responsible for the performance of their company, or in our example, the team. When the team succeeds, the manager praises the performances of his employees, singling out individuals for particular praise in cases where it is merited. However, when the team fails, it is a collective failure and one in which the manager shoulders the majority of the blame.
On the rare occurrences when City and Liverpool have failed to win matches, both Guardiola and Klopp have thrust the blame upon themselves to protect their players. When something does not go to plan, it should always be ‘I can perform better in my role’ or that was ‘my responsibility’. The great leaders in history always bear the brunt of criticism for themselves rather than their employees.
Drive/Determination
Every manager should have the drive and determination to make their business as successful as possible. Everyone will start with that ambition, but those that are willing to go the extra mile in their goals and for their employees will certainly go far.
Not only will they have the trust and loyalty of their employees, pushing them to work harder for the business, but will also put in the extra work themselves in order to out-compete their rivals. If you’re not willing to put it all on the line for your business, then you will more than likely fall short. All business can be cutthroat and the margins between success and failure are so fine. Those that have the drive and determination will certainly be in the best place to thrive.
