Highlights from Soccer Thinking for Management Success

Highlights from
SOCCER THINKING
FOR MANAGEMENT
SUCCESS
Lessons for organizations from the
world’s game
Learn more at www.soccerthinking.com and
follow on twitter @thinklikesoccer
Soccer Thinking for Management Success © Peter Loge 2018

ORGANZATIONAL SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE SOCCER
“Most organizations exist in a world where change is a
constant; where interaction with allies and opponents is
organic and unpredictable; where the success of the whole
is founded upon the efforts and commitment of the several;
where consistent preparation and empowerment can help
increase the likelihood of desired outcomes. That sounds
exactly like the set of problems, and solutions, which soccer
teams and clubs encounter and strive for.”
Kevin Payne, CEO US Club Soccer, one of the
founders of Major League Soccer, former
President and CEO of D.C. United and former
President and General Manager of Toronto
FC, and long-time US Soccer Board member

MANAGEMENT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE SOCCER
“Not a single day goes by in my work life as an entrepreneur
that I don’t use skills I learned playing soccer.”
Daniel Neal, CEO & Founder, Kajeet Inc. Former player, University of Rochester
“I tell my management students the same thing I tell my
soccer teams – communicate, support each other, and hold
each other accountable.”
Matt Winkler, Director Sports Analytics & Management, American University and Founder
the Sports Events Marketing Experience, youth coach

IT TAKES A TEAM TO SUCCEED
A soccer team is a system made up of 11 parts interacting to ensure the
success of the whole. Organizations are systems made up of staff and
managers working together for a shared goal.
“Venture capital firms invest in teams, so you
need to be a team worth investing in.”
Danny Karbassiyoon, Co-Founder PLAYRMAKR, first
American to score for Arsenal

TOTAL FOOTBALL
Soccer players have specialties but everyone is expected to do everything as
needed. Modern organizations are the same. Staff are hired for their specific
skills, but must be willing and able to fill other roles as well.
“[Embassy staff] did what needed to be done, even
if it was not their area of expertise. It is like the
concept of ‘total football’; everyone had a role in the
Embassy but if people needed to do beyond that,
that is what the team did.”
Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan, Mexican Ambassador to the
United States 2007–2013 Photo Credit: U.S. Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. John Hughel,
142nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

KNOW THE SYSTEM - PLAY YOUR ROLE
Teams succeed when everyone knows the system and plays their role. That
means everyone needs to know the organizational structure, know their role
in that structure, and fulfill that role.
“When a team works in harmony the player does not need to look for teammates...The
coordination as part of a strategy and tactics should make a player always be in the
position where the midfielder is going to aim for the pass; in the right spot where the
wing is going to hang the ball in the box; in the exact place where the forward can let
the ball go for the teammate to take the shot. It is the same in organizations. Strategy
and the tactics need to be shared for the team to work in harmony and everyone in the
organization should be in a position to take advantage of what their colleagues are doing.”
Ander Caballero, Delegate of the Basque Country to the United States, former COO Progenika, former
amateur soccer player

SOCCER FIELDS ARE LOUD
Soccer players constantly talk and listen. On the field they coach and
are coached by each other, warn each other of threats and point out
opportunities. The best organizations are the same. Staff constantly share
information to help the organization achieve its goals.
“Even when your roles are clear, there will be things that are
ambiguous and you need to communicate. (“I got it!” “All you ...”) I
was thinking about an area on our staff where we have two people
whose roles are clear, but there’s always stuff that’s a little murky –
and I thought about how when like you have a center-mid and a wing
midfielder and a ball comes in-between them, no matter how clear
the roles are they just need to talk to decide who’s taking it.”
Jerry Hauser, CEO, The Management Center, author Managing to Change the
World and lifelong mediocre pickup player

KNOW WHEN TO RUN, WALK AND REST
Soccer players know that rest is critical to success over a 90-minute game.
The best managers and staff also know the importance of taking time off to
rest and recover so they can be as effective as possible when needed most.
“Sometimes (soccer) is a game of speed and sometimes it’s a
game of stamina. There are times when you need to sprint,
times when you should walk or trot to save energy for that
next sprint, and times when you need to keep pace to stay with
the play for that moment when you become a key part of the
attack…knowing when to exert energy and when to reserve
energy and that constant give-take is a much needed skill-set in
management and business.”
Ashley Starks Amin, former NCAA Division I player at The
George Washington University, social entrepreneur
Photo Credit: Matt Mathai

GOALS
In addition to the goal of scoring goals, soccer players set interim and
personal goals that make it more likely that goals will be scored. The best
managers and staff set personal and system goals that, when combined,
make it more likely that the organization will achieve its ultimate goal.
“In a restaurant the goal needs to be the customer
experience; if a chef is rewarded only for food excellence he
may make a diner wait until a dish is perfect and if a server
is rewarded only for the number of customers he serves
he will rush people through a meal. On the field and in a
restaurant, success requires that everyone on the team has
to be working toward the same, single, goal.”
Ari Gejdenson, DC restauranteur and former professional
soccer player

GET FIT ALONG THE WAY
We get good at something by making a plan, doing it, making mistakes,
making adjustments, and doing it again.
This is true on the field and in the office.
“How did you prepare to ride from California
to Maine?”
“By riding my bike from California to Maine. I
got fit along the way.”
Exchange between John Loge (my dad) and a
bicyclist he met in Maine
Photo Credit: Matt Mathai

FAILURE AND FAME ARE FLEETING
Soccer players do not dwell on the last pass or play. The best players figure
out what went right or wrong and adjust as needed. The best managers and
staff learn from successes and mistakes, and never confuse one good or bad
action for a good or bad career.
“I can’t recall a single thing I learned
from winning.”
Mary Harvey, consultant, goalkeeper on U.S. Women’s 1991 World
Cup winning team
“Losing never lasts very long.”
Len Oliver, writer and consultant, National Soccer Hall of Fame, former professional player and
member of the US Olympic Team

ADDED TIME
Soccer teaches you to solve problems in the moment. It forces you to
collaborate. The game teaches you not to let mistakes prevent you from
trying again – and it forces you to be humble when you succeed. Soccer
teaches you to see beyond your own two feet. Look around for threats and
opportunities. Communicate. Share your success. Respect your field, your
colleagues, and competitors. Keep going. And keep learning.
Photo Credit: John Candy

“... the game is the teacher.”
Len Oliver, writer and consultant, member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
Photo Credit: Ander Caballero

LEARN MORE
For more on what soccer has to teach managers, staff and organizations –
including insights from Sports Illustrated’s Brian Straus, former US National
Team star Lori Lindsey, and many more:
Order Today
Soccer Thinking for Management Success
Visit Us
www.SoccerThinking.com
Follow Us on Twitter
@ThinkLikeSoccer
To request a presentation on how soccer thinking can help your organization succeed, email Peter Loge at
SoccerThinkingForSuccess@gmail.com

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