Success story

Can we learn from from performance maestro and apply it to our work life?

Enjoy...

Demystifying Performance: The Cristiano Ronaldo Success Story

The 2018 FIFA World Cup is here and to many it is just a series of games. However, football, like many other sports is a theatre of learning profound principles which can be applied in everyday life.

As one who doubles as a passionate lover of football and the HR profession, I have keenly observed the round leather game and discovered that embedded in its fun and thrill are answers to some of the biggest challenges confronting performance management and talent management professionals in day-to-day organisational life.

A classic epitome of high performance is the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo – a footballer per excellence whose stellar performances you cannot deny even if he's scored against your team in the past (and he most likely has). The ongoing tournament has further reinforced my respect for this phenomenal player whose football wizardry is nothing short of epic.

Rio Ferdinand, an ex-England and Manchester United player had this to say about the football maestro: “He was the first person I saw employing a nutritionist, a doctor, a personal physio, a chef. He invested in himself to become the best in the world...”

C. Ronaldo, as he is fondly called, does not just excel through his personal performances; he also possesses almost mystical competencies in catalysing his team’s performance to the point where they become the best. This is evident in his unrelenting efforts at pushing his national team beyond the limit to conquer the rest of Europe.

The lesson from his enviable career, especially his mesmerising performance at the ongoing World Cup is that while talent is important, hard work trumps talent.

In a world where talent is overrated and hard work is often given the back seat, Ronaldo has demonstrated what the latter can achieve. As a result, his life has become a learning institution which everyone who desires a successful career must attend.

The Lesson For Professionals

As professionals, none of us can become successful business partners and ultimately, business drivers without a strict and consistent commitment to learning and development.

The leaders we admire greatly today have mastered this basic discipline - a die-hard commitment to continuous learning and development even when it's most inconvenient and without obvious results.

It is never going to be easy, but like Cristiano Ronaldo, we will need a blend of talent, dedication, grit and a hunger to be nothing but the best to thrive in the workplace & profession.

Remember – If you learn to work hard when you don't see results, very soon, you will see huge results when you don't work as hard.

Thanks to you all @prettyjules158, @ulog, @surpassingoggle, @julietisrael @Minnowpond, @Minnowsupport ,@cisse56, @lightoj ,@toyinbaruba, @kayode12