Unravelling the lessons from his detour in Qatar World Cup 2022 quarter-finals

Lionel Messi is one of the world’s most outstanding sportspersons. Of course, he is a fantastic footballer too. However, his stature as a sportsman surpasses his reputation as a football player.

Why?

Because he embodies the spirit of sportsmanship above everything else.

Take the instance of the FIFA World Cup 2022 quarter-finals in which Argentina beat Netherlands 4-3 on penalties. It was a match with all the elements of an unforgettable game, memorable goals, passion aplenty, late drama, frayed tempers, and wild celebrations.

But what stood out the most for me was Messi’s attitude at the end of the game. (Many of you may have watched the video circulating in various social media platforms)

Here’s what happened:

During the penalty shootouts, the Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saved two penalties to give his team an edge, leading them to the semi-finals. His teammate, Lautaro Martinez, scored the winning penalty. As the game ended, all the players rushed to congratulate Lautaro. But Messi chose to celebrate the victory with Emiliano- without whose contributions they wouldn’t have won.

In a seemingly small gesture, Messi imparts essential lessons for corporate leaders everywhere:

• Giving Credit where it is due that often gets missed:By recognizing Emiliano for a job well done. At the same time, other players focused on the shooter. Messi deployed one of the most potent motivation tools – identifying team members whose contributions often go unnoticed.

Motivated team members can benefit the entire organizational stakeholder ecosystem. They are also more likely to stay with the company and leader, resulting in less attrition, a critical factor for the organization’s bottom line.

• Leaders are a part of the team: As a leader, Messi has always placed his team’s performance above his ambitions. For example, although he has been at the core of Argentina’s tournament-winning performance in Qatar, scoring seven goals (one of which was during the quarter-finals match against the Netherlands), his focus was to celebrate the victory as that of the entire team.

Similarly, when organizations create a culture that celebrates team victories over individual achievements, there are bound to be more opportunities for teamwork and better output.

• Ensure the well-being of your team members: In the video, we can see that when Lautaro’s ball hit the net, the goalkeeper collapsed face-first onto the field. The feeling of relief and apparent exhaustion is evident in his demeanor. Then, Messi ran to him to celebrate the team’s victory and check his well-being. Only after ensuring Emiliano was okay did the captain take the victory lap.

When leaders are mindful of their team members’ physical and emotional well-being, they are likely to make them feel more valued and motivated to contribute more.

Throughout his 18-year-long career, Messi has transcended the game of football like few have before him. Although Qatar World Cup 2022 will remain the highlight, his actions on and off the field make him a legendary leader. As a player, he brought joy to millions of football fans as he weaved his magic while keeping the spirit of the game intact. As a leader, he will be known for the empathy, compassion, and determination he demonstrated at every opportunity.

Simply put, Messi’s passion as a player and confidence as a leader will continue to inspire everyone on and off the field for generations to come.