The Bravest Warrior

4. How do you identify talent and how do you nurture the unique talents of your players? When the vision, structure, and culture are clear, finding players or employees who align with a high-performance culture and who fit into a highperformance structure becomes easy.

When it comes to nurturing talent, the role of a leader or coach is to take those unique talents and make them work within a system. This can mean cutting off bad habits or even ignoring certain unique talents that do not fit the structure at that moment. For example, a player may have excellent dribbling skills, but if the team’s strategy doesn’t require dribbling in a specific situation, the player needs to adapt and focus on other aspects. It’s about understanding the needs of the team and putting the pieces together like a puzzle.

What gave me an edge was my curiosity to understand my players’ unique talents and personalities. I started by studying their individual personalities and, of course, their unique talents, which are often influenced by their personalities. I also looked at their backgrounds in terms of where they grew up and how that influences their thinking and default behaviour. I went deeper and I got to know the star signs of each of my players, especially my key players. For instance, an Aries searches for a separate identity, while a Taurus is more conservative, and Gemini’s like variety. So, as a coach, I needed to manage them in a way that respected their unique orientations. If I knew a certain player was an Aries, I knew he would have his own approach and I couldn’t decide everything for them. I also knew not to put a Taurus in a risky position because they are very calculated and are not big risk takers. So, I mixed that understanding of the unique personalities and unique backgrounds and brought it into the team. When a player behaved a certain way, I knew exactly where it was coming from and how to deal with it. In the workplace, leaders need to constantly revisit their employees’ CVs to understand who they are and where they come from.

5. How do you create a conducive team culture? What would say are the main ingredients? Fundamentally, the purpose of creating a team culture is for the team to perform well and work together in harmony. Firstly, you want your players and staff to look forward to coming to training, or to work, and to be excited about being part of the team. It should never be a situation where they think, “Oh, it’s Monday again, time for another training session.” Of course, there will be challenging days, but ideally, 60% to 70% of the time, you want the atmosphere to be positive. In football coaches often get fired because they have lost “the dressing room.” What that basically means is that they have lost control and no longer have the ability to manage the team effectively. So, first and foremost, you need to establish that there is only one boss, but at the same time, you want the players to buy into your vision. What is the vision of the company or team? If your players don’t buy into this vision and don’t enjoy the journey, you’ve already lost the battle. You won’t be able to achieve your goals.

There’s a saying that players should play for their coach. We’ve always heard that, but I never told my players to play for me specifically. Why are they here? Their purpose is bigger than any one individual, including myself. They play for Namibia, they owe their loyalty to the team, they are committed to a greater cause. Provide them with motivation and let them know that it’s not just your project or the HR manager’s project—it’s our project, and you are leading it. For me, the main ingredient is having the buy-in of your players or workers for the project or goal you aim to achieve.

6. How do you ensure effective communication among players and coaching staff?

In football, effective communication lies in manmanagement, which is equivalent to keeping individual employees happy in a professional setting. When it comes to general communication of tactics, formation, and training instructions, there are standard messages for everyone. However, the key lies in identifying when a player or worker is completely lost and has no clue what you’re talking about or what is expected from him/her. It becomes a problem if three of your players don’t understand the strategy before a game, and they don’t believe in your ideas. This is where effective communication and manmanagement come into play. You must understand that individuals have different ways of grasping information. Some people need to hear things from a different angle to comprehend it fully. Similarly, players have different learning styles. If there’s a player who doesn’t understand, you need to sit them down and ensure they comprehend the message. Sometimes, it may not even be an understanding issue but a personal problem affecting their performance. For example, relationship issues or financial struggles can affect a player’s focus and performance. As a coach, you must get to the underlying issues and communicate with them on their level.

It’s important to recognise that you’re working with people, not machines or animals. Players or workers will appreciate your efforts to understand and support them beyond the football pitch or office. This level of care and individual attention breeds effective communication and builds trust and loyalty.

7. How do you create a sense of unity and collaboration among your players, and how can business leaders build a cohesive team in the workplace?

We have players from different backgrounds, tribes, and with different egos, so it helps to have sub-leaders who can effectively communicate with specific groups of players. For instance, if we have players from a particular region or who speak one language, appointing a sub-leader from that group helps convey messages and goals more clearly. These sub-leaders bridge any cultural or language barriers and build a common understanding to get buy-in from all players

I also emphasise the presence of hierarchies within the team and the need to manage egos. We have what I call ‘top bulls’—players with strong personalities or egos—and when they recognise my authority, it influences the rest of the team. It’s like a family dynamic, where the respect shown by elder siblings towards the parents sets the tone for the rest of the household. I don’t believe in micromanaging, but it is crucial for a leader to stay informed and to be aware of the team’s dynamics and address any issues immediately to manage conflicts.

8. How do you leverage data and analytics to improve team performance?

For me, it’s a step-by-step process. You don’t overwhelm the players with all the data because it can lead to analysis paralysis. Instead, the coaching staff analyse the data and then filter it to the head coach. The head coach then further filters the data to the players and provide them with only the specific information they need to understand in order to improve their performance. If the coach and the staff do not possess the skills necessary to interpret and use the data effectively, the data can be confusing and counterproductive.

Overall, there are intangible aspects of the game that cannot be captured by data alone.

So the human factor and the coach’s expertise still play a crucial role in making decisions.

9. How do you help your players bounce back from defeats and setbacks in their careers?

When someone falls, you can’t have a blanket approach and say “Come on, pick yourself up, it happens to everyone. Just get back in there.” Although everyone experiences setbacks at some point, players deal with things differently because they are different. For one player it can take up to two years for that player to get over missing a penalty. So as a leader you need to know how the individual deals with disappoint, which goes back to having an intimate understanding of each individual player’s personality and background.

My personal philosophy when it comes to failure is to always get back up. I always tell my players that sometimes the only thing one can do is to fight back at the situation, because sitting in a corner is not going to help you. Failure is normal, the most important thing is to always bounce back.

This is what I call the eagle mentality.

Written by Jonas Ileka

Ndeshi Hangula is a trailblazer with an unquenchable thirst for new horizons. Her inspiring story transcends conventional careers as she combines her passion for public health and love for travelling, transforming work into a thrilling adventure. We dive into her remarkable journey of navigating uncharted waters to land her dream job as a Public Health Officer for Carnival UK, which operates Britain’s biggest cruise line.

When Ndeshi completed her Bachelor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Namibia University of Science and Technology in 2018, she did not anticipate her path would lead her to a career at sea.

Typically, graduates in her field of study start their careers as environmental health specialists, food safety specialists, workplace health and safety officers, or public health consultants in various sectors, including public health departments, state agencies, the private sector, and non-profit organisations. Ndeshi’s career trajectory was no different. She started out as an Environmental Health Practitioner at a local authority, before moving on to work as a Health, Safety and Environmental Officer at a training academy. In 2020 she joined the Ministry of Health and Social Services, where she spent two years working as an Environmental Health Practitioner before the international opportunity came along.

“I saw the vacancy on LinkedIn and I really just took a chance. I didn’t really think much of it, even when they called me for the first interview, it just seemed so far-fetched. When they called me for the second interview, I thought to myself - maybe I should start taking this seriously’” she recalls.

Ndeshi says it was a dream come true when she received the offer, but she was immediately overcome by fear.

“The offer came during COVID, and I mean the cruise ship industry was one of the very first to close. I had a permanent and seemingly stable job, so I was not sure. Also having applied for the job online, you just never really know.”

Ndeshi says although she feared the unknown, the Carnival UK team was very professional, friendly, and helpful so she decided to take the leap of faith and accept the offer.

She fondly recalls smoothly transitioning into her new role and work environment. “I received a lot of support and on-the-job training when I started. I had a mentor who took me through the ropes, from conducting inspections, compiling reports, communicating to shore-side management, and generally how to engage with diverse people.”

In her role as a public health officer onboard the vessel, she ensures strict shipboard compliance public health standards. This includes driving disease surveillance, prevention and control of infectious illnesses, food safety, potable and recreational water safety, and integrated pest management. She conducts periodic audits, training, and coordinate drills for outbreak prevention and response.

“I’m loving my job. Especially because I am not confined to a single ship; I switch between different ships and I get to travel the world. For instance, when I returned from my annual work break last February, I joined a different ship in our port in Southampton. From there, I flew to Barbados in the Caribbean and joined another ship. I then flew from St. John, Antigua, in the Caribbean to London. We are a multicultural team, and we all get along well. Everyone is so friendly.” Ndeshi adds that the job comes with its fair share of challenges as well.

“I work with highly experienced people, some of whom have over 20 years of experience. So when dealing with compliance issues I really have to make sure I know what I’m talking about and that I can back it up with relevant policies. My biggest lesson so far is that knowledge is power. I just make sure that I keep myself educated. I read a lot to make sure that I keep up with policies, latest updates in legislation and general trends.”

She describes their cruise ships as floating cities and says work opportunities are abundant.

“Our biggest cruise liner takes up to 5000 guests and over 1000 staff and crew. The work opportunities are endless really. In the culinary field, we have chefs, bartenders and waiters. We need doctors, nurses, and healthcare assistants to provide healthcare services. The technical department includes mechanical and electrical engineers, plumbers and other artisans. Then we have receptionists, event managers, customer service managers, finance and HR. Not to forget the Captain and first officers who oversee ship operations.”

Ndeshi encourages Namibians to apply for job opportunities on the company website and on LinkedIn. She emphasised that young people must be open-minded, and that they should spread their wings and expand their comfort zones.

She says a lot of the people she meets have never heard of Namibia before.

“The only thing that they know about Namibia is me and that could be the last thing, so automatically I have to be an ambassador for my country. I always try to represent my country in the best possible way. I want people to see Namibia through me.” she adds. Ndeshi is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Health online through the James Lind Institute in Switzerland.

As Ndeshi continues on her career voyage, she embraces the unknown with unwavering determination, proving that even amidst the swells of uncertainty, the winds of opportunity can guide us to extraordinary destinations.