Striking a Balance: The Art of Building High-Performance Teams in Soccer and Business

Written by Jonas Ileka

Throughout his coaching career, Ricardo Mannetti has been lauded for his leadership, tactical acuity, and ability to foster a sense of unity and camaraderie within a team. He has become a respected figure in Namibian football, admired for his passion, work ethic, and unwavering commitment to the sport.

Following a successful playing career as a midfielder for local Namibian clubs, including the revered African Stars FC, a successful career in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League playing for Santos, and representing Namibia at the national level, Mannetti transitioned into coaching.

Under Mannetti’s guidance, the Brave Warriors experienced notable achievements and growth. He led the team to the COSAFA Cup triumph in 2015, marking Namibia’s first major international trophy. Mannetti’s tactical acumen, combined with his ability to inspire and motivate his players, played a pivotal role in the team’s success. In 2022, Mannetti’s career came full circle when he was appointed as the new football director of African Stars FC.

His journey as a coach has been marked by triumphs, challenges, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. He continues to inspire a new generation of footballers in Namibia, nurturing talent at grassroots level, and remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of footballing success for his beloved nation.

PulseHR sat down with Manneti for an exclusive interview to draw valuable insights and powerful leadership lessons that transcend the boundaries of a soccer pitch and can be applied to strike success in the world of business.

1. Can you tell us a bit about your journey and philosophy as a coach and leader?

I will start off by saying the following - if you see kids playing football in the street, it’s not formal, it’s not structured, but once you start observing, you realise that there’s a leader. That leader will normally arrange for the ball, do the team selection, and decide the format of the game.

So, leadership starts at a young age, even in informal settings like kids playing football in the street. A leader emerges naturally, organising and guiding the group. However, being born a leader doesn’t automatically make one a good leader in life. Leadership requires learning and practice, like going through an internship, to polish one’s leadership qualities.

My journey began as a leader in street and school football, where I gained trust and took on responsibilities. I brought these leadership skills to my professional career, playing for Santos. Eventually, I became a coach when I stepped in to help my struggling boyhood club and won the FA Cup. When I look back it, I realise that this success wasn’t a fluke but a result of years of experience and learning from different environments and strong characters. I believe that not all players can become good coaches; it’s not solely about playing the game, but rather the ability to lead and manage people. Likewise, not all technical experts or top talents in a business will make good leaders.

2. What qualities or skills are essential for leadership?

Leadership and coaching are not about how good you are technically or about how much you know. No. It’s about how well you can get into people’s heads. Can you sell? Every good leader is firstly a good salesperson – this what I learned from my late father, who was one of the best salesmen in the country. Now you may be wondering, but what am I selling? Well, you’re selling your vision, your strategy and tactics, discipline, cohesion, and harmony to your players or workers. You need to convince, influence, motivate and inspire your team. If you’re a good enough salesman, they will buy into your idealogy, and if 80% of the team buys into it, you’ve won.

Secondly a good leader is like a pilot. Why do pilots get paid top money? I mean after take-off the pilot does not need to do much because planes fly on autopilot. Pilots are highly paid for their ability to handle unforeseen circumstances and to take responsibility and accountability in difficult situations. A top coach trains their team every day and focuses on analysing the opponent, devising tactics, and gaining an edge on match day. However, the true test for a coach comes when unexpected situations arise, such as player getting red-carded and having to play with ten players in a cup final or your top talent getting injured mid-way through the season. That’s when we need to see how good you really are. So tactical flexibility, being open to change, and making decisions based on the evolving circumstances is absolutely key for leadership.

3. How do you define a high-performance team, and what are the key characteristics that contribute to their success?

Building a high-performance team is not just about selecting talented individuals. It all starts with the vision. Is the vision of the club or company aligned with high performance? You can’t expect results from highperforming players if they are operating in an amateur set up. That’s where a lot of people get it wrong. The first step in building a high-performance team is establishing a high-performance structure. Can your structure accommodate and effectively support high performers?

When I became coach of the Brave Warriors, I had to make significant changes to the Football Association’s office in order to transform it into a high-performance hub. I ensured that everyone understood the demands and expectations of high performance. We introduced a new way of running things, but it wasn’t just about changing the structure; we also had to change the mindset of our staff and players. We identified the areas where we lacked and made the necessary changes. Once the structure and mentality were in place, only then did I start looking for players who would fit into that high-performance framework. I sought individuals who could understand and embrace the fresh and innovative ideas we were implementing. If someone couldn’t keep up with the speed and efficiency we aimed for, I had to make tough decisions and replace them.