I've been watching A LOT of soccer lately. As a soccer coach, I'm always left wanting more at the end of a season. Luckily we have television and the UEFA European Championships this year. Despite Ireland's lack of success, I still love to watch.
I had somewhat of an epiphany as I watched this week. I love soccer but I also love football; Notre Dame football to be exact. In order to enjoy both of these sports, I have to be in the right frame of mind given their enormous differences. That's when it hit me. There are two distinct leadership styles represented by these two sports. Two styles that can actually cause quite a lot of discord to the people being led or supervising.
Football is a sport in which forward progress is the only form of function. To move backwards is always a negative or failure to succeed. Soccer however is a game of strategy that includes movement in all directions. Moving backwards could in fact be the best decision a player could make.
I'm a soccer style leader. Not to say I don't love moving forward. As a driven results based guy, I love when there is positive momentum. However, I recognize the importance of taking a step back and building the best plan to accomplish goals.
I wouldn't say that one style is better than the other but, if you're a football leader then you proabably find yourself easily frustrated or undervaluing a soccer style of leadership that seems counterproductive or risky. While a soccer leader more than likely finds a football style of leadership simplistic or stubborn.
I could of used Checkers and Chess for this illustration but I don't know how to play Chess.
So which one are you?
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