Post by Antoine Parisi

When I was younger I played football. I was not technically gifted, but I made up for it with grit and gave everything I had. Every game felt like a World Cup final: it had to be won. I stopped after 35 because every game brought a new injury. I was clearly not built like Cristiano Ronaldo 😄 But I kept my love of analysing the game, and my belief that leading top teams in sport and business has much in common. Here is what I took from these World Cup semi-finals. Spain had the right strategy: control midfield, dominate possession and press immediately after losing the ball. They executed it relentlessly. Luis de la Fuente protected the lead through control, not retreat. Spain never abandoned its identity, culture and values. France had exceptional talent, but a plan poorly suited to its opponent: an incomplete press and an outnumbered midfield. Didier Deschamps’ biggest mistake may not have been the initial strategy error, but failing to correct it. He changed players, not the equation. Strategies need to take competition into account. A leader’s responsibility is not to defend a past decision. It is to defend the objective. Changing a failing plan is not weakness. It is leadership. England was different. Thomas Tuchel’s initial strategy worked. England contained Argentina, attacked with pace and took the lead. Then they stopped executing it. Replacing an attacker with a defender and switching to a back five was more than tactical. It sent an implicit message: “Stop playing” A leader’s attitude is contagious. Decisions, words and body language shape a team’s mindset. When leaders reveal fear, people stop seeing opportunities and focus on threats. England retreated. Argentina kept believing. Lionel Scaloni sent the opposite message: a defensive midfielder off for a winger, then a full-back for Lautaro Martínez. Performance requires four inseparable elements: • The right strategy • Disciplined execution • Rapid correction when reality proves us wrong • Confidence to keep acting under pressure A CEO does not make every pass, but is responsible for the strategy, the operating system, the difficult decisions and the psychological environment in which the team performs. The final will be fascinating: Spain’s system and organisation versus Argentina’s grinta and relentless fighting spirit, some times borderline. I am fascinated by Spain’s collective discipline, the standard I always push my teams towards. I also recognise myself in Argentina’s grit and resilience. I always mention grit as an essential quality and my teams know I never give up. My managerial mind leans towards Spain. My competitive instinct feels Argentinian. My heart is torn, but I will choose Spain, because values and integrity count, and unfortunately there are dark sides of Argentina that I dislike. Diversity and Inclusion count ! #Leadership #Football Monica Alessandra Possa Jean-Laurent Granier Giulio Terzariol #Redion #Generali Carlos Escudero Segura