The World Cup is characterized by world-class athletes competing for their country and the right to claim that they are the best in the world in football or as we call it in the US, soccer.
But it was a unique “non-sports” event at the World Cup that recently caught my eye me because it offers a great reminder about what is important in leadership and culture. And the learnings from this event can be applied to your leadership and business.
On November 23, 2022, Japan came from behind to shock traditional powerhouse Germany in a Group E game at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Yes, that was a surprise to everyone except the Japanese team and some of their fans. It was an exciting come from behind win – something that is not common in soccer.
But an even bigger shock came when after the game, many Japanese spectators started picking up the trash that littered the aisles of Khalifa International Stadium. That was truly inspiring to me.
They also did this in 2018 after they were eliminated from the 2018 World Cup tournament in Russia.
Meanwhile, the Japanese players left their locker room as clean as they found it. They also left behind 11 origami paper cranes as a gesture of thanks to the host. This demonstrates an extraordinary awareness and humility. World Cup players are global celebrities. It would be easy for them to feel entitled to white glove treatment. Their values of accountability and tidiness ran deeper than their ego and entitlement.
“When you leave a place, you have to leave it cleaner than it was before” said Hajime Moriyasu, the coach of the Japanese team.
Japanese spectators who attended the game said they cleaned up as a sign of respect and appreciation to the World Cup hosts. They said that they were taught at home and school to clean up not only their personal space but public spaces too. The actions of the players and fans reflect a core value of the culture of Japan.
I love this example of how core values are revealed through individual behavior. It’s not what is on your corporate walls or on your website that matters but how you show up and lead.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What you do speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you are saying.” In other words, how you behave is more important than what you say. The Japanese fans and their World Cup team let their actions speak the loudest.
I am thinking more about how my actions align with my words and values. What can you do in your leadership to align your values to your behavior?
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