Setting the Scene for Extraordinary Leadership
You’re representing your country in the continental championship game for your sport. You’re playing on your opponent’s home field. It’s been a tough battle between your team and the opponent, neither has been able to score, and time is running out. Something dramatic happens, and your team feels they should be awarded an excellent chance to score, but the referee disagrees. Oh well, play on.
Moments later, a similar situation arises, and your opponent is granted that golden opportunity in very similar circumstances. Your teammates erupt is disbelief and feelings of injustice overwhelm some. Your coach orders your team off the field and into the locker room, apparently reacting to some perceived conspiracy, and perhaps thinking ‘if they’re going to steal this from us, we’re not going to be here to gratify them.’
Your stomach is in knots. You know leaving the field isn’t in the spirit of the competition. You doubt there is a conspiracy. There might not have even been a refereeing mistake, much less injustice. But your coach and team have left and are expecting you to join. What do you do?
Moments like this are why leadership fascinates me. Especially when it’s unscripted and there’s tremendous pressure. Someone had to lead through the chaos.
Introducing the Leader
You, in this case, are Sadio Mané of the Senegal Men’s National Football Team. The game was the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) championship. One game, winner takes all. Every second year. One of the biggest stages for the sport that has made you happy and wealthy. It has taken you all over the world. You have won multiple club championships in Europe and you are now one of the stars of the rapidly-rising Saudi league. Through football, you have been able to greatly improve infrastructure in your remote home region, contributing to significant development of schools, medical facilities, and places of worship. What do you do?
My Place in the Events
I was in disbelief as I watched these events unfold. I don’t know how many people of my demographic profile were watching the AFCON final live on television, probably not many. But I love watching the game. I also enjoy following the development of teams and the moves made by the managers and clubs’ hierarchies. Sports leadership and engineering leadership have some differences, but there are more similarities. I find professional value in it.
The Leader Pauses to Think
Sadio Mané was also in disbelief. He remained on the field. His image filled the screen. He wasn’t moving around much. You could see, in his eyes and his face, the turmoil going on in his head and in his heart. Do I follow, or do I take the harder path? Do I stand up for the integrity of the game? He’s not the official captain, but he’s one of the most well known and most experienced players on the continent. He’s a leader, without the formal title. He felt the responsibility. He tapped into his moral courage. He spoke to the referees. He spoke to some of the opponents. He disappeared into the locker room. Oh no! We all thought, this can’t end this way. How does a match end this way?
The Leader Acts
Sadio Mané returned to the field. He brought his teammates back to the field. His coaches came back to the field. After some more uncomfortable time when players and coaches and referees figured out how to proceed, the game resumed. The golden opportunity was upheld, but the Morocco team didn’t capitalize (my heart goes out to them, especially Brahim Diaz). The game rolled into overtime, and Senegal won. It was stunning to witness, and a glorious example of leadership under pressure and leadership without authority acted out live on global television. Here’s more on the story.
Leadership Lesson
What struck me most wasn’t the outcome of the match, but the way leadership appeared. Sadio Mané’s pause before action. The uncertainty in his expression. The pain he felt in the dilemma. Leadership didn’t appear as certainty or confidence. It appeared as restraint, thought, judgment, and choosing integrity over momentum. He led through the pressure. He led without authority; he led beyond his authority. This kind of moment exists outside sport too, of course. They show up wherever people must decide whether to follow a trend or uphold something more important. Leadership requires courage and Sadio Mané had enough courage to save the day.