It’s been almost a month since my family and I returned from the FIFA World Cup in the USA where we were fortunate enough to watch our Australia Socceroos stand on the world football stage.  It was a truly epic and awe-inspiring experience for sure. But I wasn’t expecting what I learned, or how it stayed with me long after the final winner had been crowned. 

Don’t under-estimate

Some of the biggest excitement came from the tiniest country in the tournament, Cabo Verde.  In their first ever World Cup appearance, representing a population of just 600,000, they shocked and delighted the world.  They broke through the first round “group of death” undefeated, pulling off a draw against eventual champions Spain. Making it to the next round, they pushed defending champions Argentina to the brink.  The Blue Sharks remarkably came from behind twice to send the game to extra time before going down.  Their second spectacular equalizer won Goal of the Tournament.  

This was more than one great game.  Their performance was the real deal.  But even more was the energy they generated for all who watched or heard about them. 

It wasn’t that they were the underdogs; it was that they had completely earned the right to be there and win. 

To punch this far above their weight, Cabo Verde took a bigger view to building their squad.  They looked beyond their tiny domestic population to strategically recruit and bring together players across Europe.  Their power came from a network of players who’d developed in some of Europe’s strongest teams before aligning around a single national purpose. 

It made me wonder how many organisations overlook capability sitting just beyond their own walls.  How often are leaders thinking broadly enough about the network they could align around a common purpose?  

As the team developed, they had to answer the challenge of their newness, their lack of team pedigree.  They were going to face-off against teams with entrenched heritages.  Without their own heritage to fall back on, they used this to their advantage.  The team created their own style of play that was structured yet agile and highly adaptable. This enabled them to outmanoeuvre established opposition playbooks and remove any preconceived ceiling to success.  

This reminds me of the new fast-growth companies entering tech markets.  They aren’t dissuaded by the size and scale of those currently dominating.  They ask, how can we look at the challenge differently?  Every team could ask the same question to break established norms and find new and better ways of working.

The Blue Sharks played the best teams in the tournament and succeeded by remaining disciplined and composed under pressure.  How do you win against the greatest players in the world?  By having a winning game plan and executing it flawlessly.  No flashy moves; nothing high risk.  Stick to the fundamental and execute them precisely, no matter the pressure.  

Great teams don’t become disciplined when pressure arrives. Pressure simply reveals the discipline they’ve already built.

We can always be outgunned in resources: better salaries, bigger teams, more funding.  This story reminds me that fundamentals and day-in, day-out consistency are the trump card.  ‘How’ the team engages matters most.

Perhaps the only unsurprising element was the strength of leadership by Cabo Verde’s coach Pedro Leitao Brito. With players coming from entirely different cultures, Brito created a team culture of belonging, inclusion and unity by giving each player a clear, equally important, operational role.  He leaned into national identity and reframed pressure as privilege.  He explained that this was a reward for hard work, so they wanted to play the best teams in the world.  Excitement about the opportunity replaced fear of failure.

Most interesting to me was that Brito actively rejected the fairytale narrative to his players.  He reinforced “work” over luck, reminding his players that their success had been built on daily tactical discipline, defensive organisation and tenacity. This gave the players confidence in their systems and their teamwork, rather than relying on external hype and emotion.

Leaders often try to inspire people by telling them they can achieve anything. Brito chose a different path. He didn’t ask his players to believe in miracles. He asked them to believe in the work they’d already done. That may not sound inspirational, but when pressure arrives, preparation is far more dependable than emotion.

What I don’t under-estimate was the power of leadership fundamentals playing out before me over a few short weeks.  Be clear on your identity and your capability. Keep the team aligned under pressure.  Execute relentlessly no matter what.  Lead the vision and values.  We say these things often, but delivering on them works and creates possibilities and success beyond what we’d expect. 

Watching Cabo Verde reminded me that organisations rarely outperform because they find extraordinary people. 

They outperform because leaders create extraordinary alignment around ordinary disciplines. 

Strategy matters. Talent matters. But when the pressure rises, it’s alignment that keeps the whole system moving in the same direction.

This writing is inspired by my earlier article, The Drift You Don’t See.