I had the pleasure of attending a lunch today hosted by the NAB to promote the up-coming Socceroos game against Greece. We didn’t leave hungry with the Alpha restaurant putting on a feast of Greek food!
As we tucked into the lamb shoulder, Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou took the stage with 3 of his players to field some questions. From time to time, you get listen to someone that is truly inspiring – this was one of those moments. Postecoglou is a true leader and here are 3 reasons why:
1. Absolute unwavering belief
When Ange tells you that ‘we will win the world cup at some stage’, he believes it. He believes it in his head, in his heart, in his gut, in his bone marrow. The ‘belief’ word gets thrown around a lot but when you’re in the presence of true belief, it’s moving. I now know that at some stage Australia will win the football world cup.
2. Responsibility
The opposite to blame and excuses, Postecoglou lives and breathes responsibility. Ange tells the story of his parents coming to Australia when he was a young child for a better life. The reality was the opposite…no family/friends, not knowing the language and no job prospects. The real purpose of coming to Australia was to provide the children with a better life. Ange wears that responsibility to this day and it is a defining purpose to his career…..if his parents sacrificed to give him a better life, he owes it to them to create one. No excuses.
3. Looking forward
It would be easy to sit in the warm glow of the 2015 Asian Cup triumph. To Ange, that is ancient history and the only thing that matters is to ensure this year is better than the last. Whilst reflection is a critical component of any leadership approach, it is only useful when done in the context of what lies ahead.
It’s always a pleasure to sit in the presence of true leadership. I’m off to the pool to burn off the fetta cheese!