Great leaders are like great cooks.

Positive Minds | Positive Quotes | Edition 009

Ingredients are to sauce what talents are to teams

Today (November 22th, 2022), I'm talking about the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Don't worry; I'll avoid polarising topics; there are so many around this World Cup, and everyone has an opinion. I will only talk about football. My mum used to say: “the cock’s mouth is too small to whistle in a flute”; in other words, the polemics and polarization around Qatar 2022 are beyond me.

If, like me, you are a football fan, you were shocked by what everyone calls the big surprise of this World Cup; Qatar 2022: Saudi Arabia started its campaign by beating Argentina 2-1 on Tuesday, 22 November.

And yet everything started well for the Albiceleste of Argentina, who opened the score in the 10th minute with a goal signed by the unstoppable Lionel Messi. The Saudi Arabian Green Falcons equalised in the 49th minute through Saleh Al-Shehri, and Salem Al-Dossari scored the winning goal in the 53rd minute.

So what happened at half-time? The answer is simple. Hervé Renard, the French coach of the Green Falcons, gave a speech that galvanised his team and made them stand together. And for those who know the man, it is not his first try.

It is thus a team completely transformed that started the second half against Messi and his teammates. To everyone's dismay, Saudi Arabia, a nation ranked 51st in the FIFA rankings, beat Argentina, the third-best team in the world. Sports writers across the globe have used every superlative to describe this victory.

Saudi Arabia's victory over Argentina on 22 November is a stinging reminder that:

𝐈𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐞; 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤. 𝐈𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬; 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫.

Adama Coulibaly | Positive Minds

An expert in international development and humanitarian aid, Adama Coulibaly, aka Coul, has three decades of experience with international NGOs and the United Nations, working for social justice and gender equality.

A prolific blogger, he shares positive thoughts on leadership and social awareness. Dedicated to mentoring African youth, he seeks to inspire resilience and commitment, believing in their potential to build a free, united and prosperous Africa.

Learn more about me here.

https://adamacoulibaly.com
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