Leadership — when leaving is the right decision!
Those who know me know that I am a huge football supporter. Whenever Benfica plays, the question you must ask is not If I am going to the match. The right question is: what time are you going to the match and where will you have a beer before?
After Benfica, my favorite club is Liverpool, thanks to Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. Also because of the Hillsborough tragedy. I was a child when it happened, and since I was a young girl used to watch football with my father (a former referee and observer), that event marked me. Football and Benfica became a huge part of my life, and a pilar of my relationship with my dad. A few years ago, I had the privilege to travel to Liverpool and watch Benfica play in Anfield. It was the kind of experience that I will always cherish! I felt like a little girl opening presents on Christmas Eve! But this article is not about me or about football. It’s about how football gives us leadership lessons!
In 2015, when Jurgen Klopp signed for Liverpool, I was so happy! There it was: the right manager for the right club! It was, somehow, like all the stars aligned in that moment! And, as time proved it, I wasn’t far from the truth. Last week we woke up knowing that Klopp is resigning and leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. After the initial shock, and after listening carefully the interview there is a lot about leadership on Jurgen’s speech:
1- When you are a manager, there are a lot of people that rely on you and your work. When you decide to step down, you have to do with advance, since the club needs to prepare your replacement properly!
2- Being a manager is a time-consuming and very demanding role. Although often is very well paid, with time it can drain you!
3- It’s a very lonely job! Although there are a lot of people working with us, when it’s time to make important decisions, it’s very common to feel overwhelmed!
4- Being a manager is so time-consuming, it requires constantly not knowing where you are going to be next month or next year!
5- Feeling like you don’t have a normal life. That’s, for me, the message to take. At some point, Jurgen felt that his job is so demanding that he feels like he doesn’t have the necessary energy, and he needs to have a normal life. Do different things!
But most importantly, and this is for me, the lesson that I’ll take, it’s very important to know when to step down! It’s not easy, but it takes a lot of courage to do it!
As a football supporter, thank you Jurgen. I hope we can all say farewell to you in the Europa League Final against Benfica!
