Leadership in Sport: Implications for Football Management - Essay Example

A Review of Leadership in Sport: Implications for Football Management ABSTACT This paper is about the importance of leadership in soccer. It analysesthe roles of an effective manager and leadership models that are employed by professional experts to incorporate leadership qualities in their conduct. The paper also discusses in detail the life of Jose Mourinho and his attributes that led him to establish himself as one of the most successful managers of all times. Leadership has an integral role in the functioning of any organization and if leaders are not effective, the organization would fail. In soccer as well, the team is dependent on the foresight and competency of the manager, and if the manager is not effective the team suffers greatly. The paper highlights the traits of an effective manager and links them with the performance of Jose Mourinho, followed with a conclusion. INTRODUCTION Leadership is a process where an individual influences a group of other individuals to achieve a common goal (Northouse & Northouse, 2009). Leadership is of immense value in managerial jobs. In reference to football, leadership plays a pivotal role not only in coaching of the team but also in recruiting of the most appropriate team members, providing them with moral support and in assigning them responsibilities according to each one’s competency. Since stakeholders have invested millions of dollars at times into the football club, it is expected that the team would perform well. Therefore an experienced and talented manager is chosen so that he is able to bring out the best in the team members and appoint a competent coach who channelize the talents of the members and make the team win. Therefore managers are usually held responsible for the performance of the team; if the performance of the team is not up to the standard, managers can get fired. This accentuates the risky nature of the job and the amount of responsibility that the manager has. A team is nothing without a good coach; the coach not only maps out the positions each player is going to play after scrutinizing the individual capabilities of the players, but also makes an analysis of the competition that the team is going to face in the playing arena and justly devises strategies to aid the team in specializing in particular game moves that will make them play better in comparison with their competitors. ROLES OF THE FOOTBALL MANAGER The role of a football manager extends beyond the fiscal matters of the team. A successful manager is one who is rated high on his relationship with the team. The manager motivates the team and builds up their morale. The attitude of the manager with the team directly influences team performance. If the manager is not appreciative of the achievements of the team, the members will feel degraded and alienated. Therefore the performance of the players will suffer. Besides maintaining a healthy relationship with team members, one of the major traits that the manager has to exhibit is decision- making. This is important because the job of the manager requires organization of the team, recruiting players and firing them if they are not performing well, and deciding on the method of play. A manager’s job also extends to dealing with media coverage of the team and other media-related matters, setting appropriate wages for the players, providing any assistant staff that is needed and to effectively use the funds allocated for maintenance purposes in providing all necessary facilities. A manager is representative of the team in meetings with stakeholders and defends the team by not sanctioning any pragmatic recommendation by the stakeholders that are not in the interests of the team. This is depictive of the level of commitment a manager has to the team. Therefore a manager should always interact with the players on a one-to-one basis and contribute to the development of the athlete. The job of a manager also includes processing information like the club coaching policy and other legal contracts that the players have to sign. Furthermore, a manager deals with any sponsorship deals that the team gets and is frequently represents the team in press conferences. To be an effective manager, the attitude of the manager should reflect the aspirations of the team. The manager should not have conflicting perceptions; rather the manager is required to show a flexible attitude to the players. A manager has to have leadership ingrained into his personality. By using leadership skills, he would keep the team united and working towards a shared goal. The team leadership approach is important since it aids in accomplishing work through relationships that are built on trust and respect (Pedersen et al., 2007). Leadership would help him maintain the organizational structure of the team and prevent it from disintegrating if the team is not faring well in the field. Leadership also requires foresight of any potential problem and steps taken to eliminate it. Furthermore, leadership will also equip the manager to make on-the-spot decisions like if the player is in a fit position to resume playing after an injury or not. Sports managers should have the capability to make decisions that are consistent with ethical values and be able to integrate critical thinking skills with legal and ethical principles (Parks, Quaterman & Thibault, 2007). A manager should be able to assess the team performance critically and draw a reasoned analysis if the team is meeting the standards or not; hence, it becomes the responsibility of the manager to propose any change in strategy to improve the team’s performance. Leadership is aimed at motivating members towards organizational goals (Chelladurai, 2006). The team manager needs to connect to his team members and for this it is mandatory that the manager acutely understands and realizes what the team goes through everyday during training sessions and the matches. This experience can only come if the manager has had past playing experience. By drawing from his experiences, a manager can avoid the mistakes that his managers made and be more sensitive to the trails and triumphs of the players. QUALITIES OF A SUCCESSFUL LEADER It is not possible to define leadership since the definition can vary from person to person. Each individual presents his individual style of leadership because of the way he conducts himself and gives off his individual aura. Leadership associated includes several psychological characteristics along with soccer competence (Gill & Williams, 2008). One of the important elements that characterize a successful manager is the way he presents himself. Self confidence is a distinctive quality of the manager, and it assures the team members that the manager has control over what he is doing. Intelligence and deep insight and understanding of the football and the elements that influence performance are traits which embody a successful manager. Moreover, since the manager is representative of the team, he needs to have a strong sense of values. If he indulges in drugs, alcoholism etc, he does not set a good example for other managers and also brings bad reputation to team. Therefore a good manager should make sure that since he is a public figure, his record remains clear. Tabloids and the media are always on the hunt for scandals and a lot of successful managers and public figures have lost their repute and at times their jobs cue to the scandals that the media hyped. Rumors and scandals also serve to demoralize and discourage then managers, which has a causative impact on the quality of their performance. Thus a good manager is ones who gives diplomatic statements and tactically avoids giving any dogmatic or opinionated comments. A manager’s popularity is also significant to his success; if he is charismatic and has neutral relations with the media and sponsoring organizations, he will gain popularity. This will not only help him in marketing the team but also in warding off criticisms that are targeted on the team and their overall performance. Eloquence and articulacy of speech can also prove advantageous to the manager; this will add to his charisma and boast hid confidence. Eloquent speech, along with persuasiveness, will help the manager negotiate deals that are beneficial to his team members. Another trait that the manager needs to have is his capacity to deal with stress since managing football teams are stressful, especially in sports tournaments. As mentioned above, since the manager has a lot of responsibility on his shoulder, he should have the capability to deal with it and should be dependable. Athlete- manager relationship is crucial for the success off the team, therefore it should be ascertained that the goals and thinking of the manager should be synonymous with that of the players, and, as reiterating the point, the team members gain motivation from the manager, the manager should show zeal and zest and favor his team’s sides. Leadership is shared between the leaders and the followers, with full engagement of everyone involved (Daft, 2007). Thus, to be able to manage effectively and put his orders into effect, a manager should inculcate the ability of being authoritative and persistent in his conduct. A good leader is one who people are willing to follow (Maxwell, 2005). In conclusion, it is the administrative acumen, leadership qualities, intelligence, regard for values and the attitude of the manager that largely determines his effectiveness as a manager. Coaches, exercise leaders, teachers have an interest in achievement motivation; it includes the characteristics that allow members to achieve excellence (Weinberg & Gould, 2007). LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND MODELS Leadership models assess the leadership standards by judging what the leaders do. Leadership trait theories attempt to explain distinctive characteristics accounting for leadership effectiveness (Lussier & Achua, 2009). They are also useful in partnering (Ronco & Ronco, 2005). Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory states that there is no specific style of leadership; instead leadership is task-oriented and its effectiveness depends on how well the task is performed. The model encompasses leadership styles and the level of maturity of the subordinates. Job maturity was defined by the subordinate’s job-related skills and knowledge whereas psychological maturity included self-respect of the subordinates (Landy & Conte, 2006). A model by John Adair suggested that leadership depends more on the actions of the leader, than what he is. This action-centered leadership model explores the leadership traits that are required to ensure achievement of the task, promote teamwork and recognition of each individual’s competency and appreciation of his/her worth. T. McGregor’s leadership model is based on two major postulates- theory X and theory Y. Theory X states that some people show a dislike for their work, trying to avert responsibility. So one can exploit this dislike and wheedle the people into doing what one wants. Theory Y explores that people generally require guidance in carrying out tasks. Theory X leads to an autocratic leadership approach whereas theory Y leaders are democratic (Hernon & Rossiter, 2007). Thus one can say that the styles of leadership also depend upon the attitude of the subordinates. A research conducted by the University of Michigan concluded that there are eleven major leadership traits which include decisiveness, influencing people, providing advice to people and fostering healthy interactions. Situational theory states that leadership qualities in an individual are a result of the situations and when an individual posseses these qualities, it is the situation that will determine the success of the leader (Singla, 2009). Contingency models focus on the chief elements that come into play in management capacities. Fielder’s contingency model says that leadership is determined by three major factors: the leader-member relationship, the task allocated to the members and the positional capacity of the leader. According to theory, the effectiveness of the leader in achieving high level of team performance depends on the leader’s motivational system and the degree to which he influences the situation (Lunenburg & Ornstein, 2007). The importance of these models and theories is that they provide a basic framework on the essential traits that a leader needs to have. It emphasizes that leadership development is self-development and is not about power (Kouzes & Posner). Individuals who make decisions consistent with the models are more effective than those who do not comply with the predictions of the models (Griffin & Moorhead, 2009). LEADERSHIP IN RETROSPECT- JOSE MOURINHO José Mário do Santos Mourinho Félix (Jose Mourinho), a Portuguese football manager, has managed clubs from all over Europe and is currently working as the manager of Inter (Italy). Mourinho’s managerial career started from Benifica in 2000. After a brief spell there and at Uniao de Leiria, Mourinho was hired by FC Porta, from where he kicked off his achievements (Dylan, 2010). In 2 years, Mourinho was able to win six title trophies including two League titles, Portuguese Cup, Portuguese Super Cup, the UEFA Cup and the Champions League. In such a diminutive period of time, Mourinho was able to achieve all of the most rewarding titles in European Football. In contrast to a popular belief that Mourinho’s future success in Chelsea was purely based on funds, provided by the club’s Russian billionaire owner, to buy big shot players, he did prove in FC Porto that even without excessive amounts of funding he can make a team achieve what is dreamed by every club in whole of Europe. In 2004, Mourinho moved to Chelsea on a three year contract and became one of the highest paid football managers. Immediately after moving to Chelsea, Mourinho engaged his assistant staff from Porto, his previous club, which included; assistant manager, fitness coach, chief scout and goalkeeping coach (NetGlimpse, 2009). Mourinho’s this move helped him establish himself in the club, since he had his old staff members along, with whom he enjoyed magnificent success at his former club FC Porto. Thus, Mourinho was now able to apply some of his old strategies which helped Porto to its rise. Also a good manager is one who is able to respond to the needs of the employees and the staffing needs of the organization (Stroman et al., 2008); Mourinho was able to put this in to practice and gain success. Besides the addition of his old staff members, Mourinho spent an extra £70m on big shot football players from French, Dutch and Portuguese football clubs which included Tiago Mendes, Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole, Michael Essien, Mateja Kezman, Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira. Spending extra money on stars from these established clubs gave Chelsea a boost of fresh feet and skills of players from clubs of different countries, awarding Chelsea with an edge of diversity. As we see in Chelsea’s history, players like Drogba and Ashley Cole added to the immense success of the club as players like him at some instants were able to single handedly changed the outcome of the match. Although it was a good move made by the Chelsea manager, credit for the club’s success in terms of first-rate players cannot be wholly given to the manager, since the players were already well reputable as footballers and were professionally known for their remarkable football skills. When it comes to selection, coaching and management, Mourinho had straight forward rules. A good manager needs to understand the dynamaics of the organization and the situation of his players (Shaw & Linnecar, 2007). He always focused on aiming high and being among the Champions which reflected during his era in Chelsea. His philosophy was to simply ‘win’. This approach towards the game boosted the players to perform their best at every game. When it comes to players, Mourinho was never interested in players who were reluctant to learn. Therefore he chose the most competitive footballers. On the contrary, no matter how much a player was valuable to the club, Mourinho paid special emphasis to behavior and throughout performance of a player. Therefore outstanding players like Mutu, Crespo, Veron, Melchiot and Hasslebank were transferred to other clubs during his time in Chelsea. He respected the abilities of the players, demonstrating his faith in the players to do their job to the best of their ability- another demonstration of traits of an effective leader (Abell & Napoleon, 2008). Mourinho emphasized more on high quality and intensity training sessions for short periods. Excellence in anything requires disciplined practice (Kouzes & Posner, 2007). Whatever the context of the leadership, the team scores the point; the leader is responsible to teach the team how to accomplish that (Wooden & Jamison, 2005). During practice Mourinho conducted small sided games, so that each player would intensely workout. He formulated training drills that stimulated decision making situations for players to help them cope with under pressure circumstances (Brewer, 2009). His tactical syllabus mainly comprised of possession and positional play. He focused on ball possession which helped players in gaining think time to prepare an attack to score a goal. John Terry, a player of the Chelsea club also quoted once that “Training is enjoyable everyday!” This shows Mourinho’s immense popularity and likeness among the players. He was also involved in regular match analysis and preparatory work to keep him updated with the techniques implemented by opposing teams and their weaknesses and strengths to tackle. It was this strategy that made the players at Chelsea feel, that he could read the game better than they could. The social context in which sports takes place can affect the players’ moral functioning (Jowett & Lavallee, 2007). To keep this in check and to interact better with the players, Mourinho was able to mould his mood according to his team’s requirements at any given time. He had a certain bonding technique and acted as the 12th man of the team. In this way he was able to make the players feel that he was one of them, thus effectively motivating them. He conducted pre match talks approximately 2hrs before a game to help uplift the spirits of the players. During this pre match talk, he rallied it with a “player of the day” who had to come forward and express his modus operandi. This helped to create not just a one way briefing but an interactive session with the players. Mourinho drummed into every player every day that he was the best. He infused the players with his own super confidence. Combined effects created an almost evangelical atmosphere. Furthermore Mourinho made it compulsory for the players to speak native language (Barclay, 2006). Since players were from clubs all over the world, this facilitated them to communicate in a more effectual manner. Thus undoubtedly Mourinho was a clever headed couch. Good candidates as a character mentor could be a professional coach or any professional whose ability one respects (Maxwell, 2007). Chelsea, led by Mourinho, had been relentless (Harris, 2006). Even with the most brilliant players of the world at your disposal, one always needs an intellectual mind to control and use them in their best ways. Mourinho proved that to the world. His era at Chelsea proved to be one of the most successful ones and it was this that earned him the worlds best football coach title by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS). No athlete can become an expert football player unless he has a good relationship with the coach and manager (Faries, 2008); Mourinho ensured that each athlete can perform his level best by maintaining constant interaction with them. A good manager can make all the difference between success and failure (Patty, 2005). One of the major reasons for Mourinho’s success was his education and previous experience as a fitness coach and another whopping 10 years of experience with Robson and Van Gaal. He received a Sport Science Degree and taught Physical Education for three years. Thus the cumulative erudition from the aforementioned learning experiences, Mourinho established himself among the top coaches in the world. Besides his achievements and successful streaks, one of the major problems Mourinho suffered from was his behaviour. Mourinho was known for being arrogant and self centred; his on pitch behaviour went so out of control that, in a Chelsea’s match against Liverpool, he had to be escorted off the field for inciting Liverpool fans. On 13th march 2005 he was handed a two match ban and a heavy fine from UEFA for criticising the referee in a Champions League match against Barcelona (Batty, 2006). The UEFA referees chief, Volker Roth, remarked Mourinho as "enemy of football. Even after being fined and suspended, Mourinho did not hold back and went up to the linesman and questioned him (Witzig, 2006). This episode gives an idea of how Mourinho’s was ready to question the authority and criticise it. On 2 June 2005, he was fined £200,000 after a meeting with the Arsenal player Ashley Cole (Edwards & Skinner, 2006). Earlier in 2010, during his time in Inter (Italy), he was again fined and given a three match ban for giving a handcuff gesture towards the referee (Sportsmail Reporter, 2010). This incident happened after two of his teams players had been sent off. Reportedly some referee’s were so offended that so much so they were ready to go on a strike if Mourinho was not handed a suspension. Hence these examples clearly indicate that, although he was popular among the players, but he was also notoriously known among referees and coaches of other football clubs. At instants when Mourinho thought his team was performing extraordinarily well, he blamed the authority for preplanning the match and creating a situation where his teams win was impossible. Even after winning at one instant he blamed the authorities for being anti towards his team and for this outburst of his he was fined €18,000 (Reuters, Italy News, 2010). These examples indicate Mourinho felt frustrated when the games did not end according to his expectations. Some quoted that he was a big-mouth and incapable of yielding defeat gracefully (Amhurst, 2005). At some moments when he was unable to control his anger and frustration which resulted in spontaneous outburst of anger and accusations on referees and the authorities in charge. CONCLUSION Creating a positive sporting environment through a developmental leadership style is an effective way of achieving both sports and fun (Kornspan, 2009). Vision, dynamism and collaboration and teamwork are approved qualities of leadership (Chhokar et al., 2007). Pleasant behavior of a person towards his/her colleagues and regard for rules is a major component of a persons work and social life. No matter how much one succeeds, one has to be careful while dealing with fellows and following rules. The strategies the manager employs contribute a lot to the success or failure of the team. It is often thought that a good manager is one who himself has remained a top player; however Jose Mourinho broke away from this stereotype and, in spite of any formal playing experience on the national level or for clubs, he ascended to the levels of a successful manager. From the above example we learn that Jose Mourinho proved himself to be one of the most successful football managers of all time with his effective leadership (Lourenço, 2008). A good manager is one who has great impact on the lives of the athletes, and Jose Mourinho is no exception (Garrett, 2007). Drawing conclusion from the above facts one can appreciate the fact that to being successful is not just to be outstanding at what you do but also showing due respect towards others. A person’s conduct always reflects his/her personality. Thus the conduct should compliment one’s work, otherwise bad conduct tends to overshadow the achievements accomplished. REFERENCE LIST Abell, S. V. & Napoleon, J. A., 2008. 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