As any student of football knows, Maradonna, the player who dominated Argentinean and Italian football in the 80s, is a much loved figure amongst English supporters.

Following Liverpool’s unexpected European Cup triumph last week, Maradonna was busy converting scousers to his fan-base, saying:

‘I have seen comebacks like that in football but never against a team that was so clearly superior as Milan were.’

For those who slept through last week, Maradonna was referring to an astonishing 45 minute period in which Liverpool’s players turned a first-half 3-0 defeat into ultimate victory. Depleted by injury, hindered by decisions gone awry and facing European football’s strongest defence in imperious form – manager Rafa Benitez’s team emerged from the half-time break with a conviction and passion that broke the spirit of the Milan players. They levelled the score and in the maelstrom of the decisive penalty shoot-out, Liverpool’s ‘unreliable’ goalkeeper dominated the psyche of an opposition that appeared to have lost hope.

Such things simply should not happen – particularly in the most important club football match in the world. AC Milan’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti was at a loss, saying, ‘What happened? It's unexplainable.’ To borrow from Sid Waddell, it was the ‘greatest comeback since Lazarus.’

In contrast to Ancelotti, one man who felt he knew exactly what happened was the Liverpool captain, Stephen Gerrard. With a winners medal draped round his neck, Gerrard could barely wait to find the nearest camera crew and explain the dramatic turn-around:

‘It was the gaffer. At half-time, he pulled us in and gave us a plan. He didn’t shout, he didn’t rave; he just knew what to do. He layed it all out and helped us focus.’ Teamate Carrager chipped in. ‘When we scored the first, they just seemed to go.’

The obvious question to draw from Gerrard’s insight remains a vital one: In crisis moments, what kind of leadership do we provide? Rafael Benitez himself admitted he had no thought of winning and was focused on ‘stopping the bleeding’ at the half-way stage. Yet, for all that, everything about his approach – his mannerisms, his tone, his diction was measured with one aim: to instil hope. He succeeded because the players knew there was a plan and he had sufficient credibility in the bank for 11 talented but scattered individuals to allow themselves to be shaped to his view.

Churchillian rhetoric is clearly not Rafael Benitez’s style. Had that been his approach, one suspects the dispirited Liverpool fans who left the stadium at half-time because they could not bear to watch any more, would not have regretted their decision. Their team would have lost valiantly and they could have consoled themselves with an easier journey back home.

Instead, of course, those fans will now have to live with the knowledge that they walked out at the worst possible moment – the point just before things began to turn around.

In these days where the average tenure of European CEOs draws ever closer to the US norm of 2 years, such lessons are worth heeding. Much about our current shareholder and management culture screams for instant results and is unprepared to invest beyond the first mistake or 2nd missed quarterly target (ironic given that same investor focus upon the importance of the long-term)

Focusing on our own leadership, we need to concentrate on building a credibility with our people and a character and experience portfolio that comes to our aid when – despite all best planning – such crisis moments arrive.

As leaders of others we should bear in mind the example of Liverpool’s players. Having come through the decisive moments of that European final, their future capacity to lead has only been increased. We need to help people through their own crisis times and encourage them to make wise decisions about when to persevere and when to step back. As Jim Collins showed in ‘Good to Great’ it’s those who commit to the long haul that generate the greatest return (and not only to shareholders).

Easy, of course, to say. Yet it’s worth remembering that leaving early is all about avoiding further loss and pain; growth rarely comes from walking out at half-time.

Andrew Miles
Director