Leadership Lesson by JOSE MOURINHO

WINNING LEADERSHIP – JOSE MOURINHO

"I have read I have to prove a lot in English football. Sir AlexFerguson, is the only European champion ( [sic] club manager ) in this country, nobody else, so I have to prove what?" said Jose Mourinho, manager of English football club, Chelsea, to the media.

Since uttering those words, Chelsea has won the English League Cup, has the Premiership just about sewn up, and is in the semi-final of the Champions League. Mourinho first tasted managerial success with Porto FC, when in his first season, 2002/2003, they won the triple of domestic League and Cup and Uefa Cup titles. The following year he went one better: not just winning the Portuguese League but also the coveted Champions League.

So what kind of leader is Mourinho (apart from being very successful)? One thing immediately obvious is the great "Rapport" he has with his players. It is said that Mourinho speaks 17 languages (modern football clubs, like many organizations, are a mini-UN) and knows which button to press to motivate each player. After each game, which Chelsea usually wins, Mourinho congratulates all his players on the pitch, starting with his captain. And he does so by hugging them and/or touching their heads; not many managers has this kind of close rapport with their players.

What I think sets Mourinho apart from other managers is that he is a great Motivator in a teammotivated environment. Everyone can be inspired to achievement in a team-motivated environment. With a common goal - winning trophies and bonuses - team members support each other until success is achieved. In this environment, team members care for one another, and everyone is needed for achieving the goal. For this reason, team motivation is extremely powerful. Mourinho says: "I hate to speak about players individually. Players do not win trophies, squadswin trophies. ....I love players who love to win. They not only win in 90 minutes, but every day, every training session, in every moment of their lives".

Sources: http://www.everestmotivation.com/mustread2005.html