Unlocking Barcelona’s incredible culture of winning

Estimated read time 4 min read

Success is not a prerogative for a few people, it is a culture that once players learn, it becomes a tradition for winning.  Barcelona has had great players over the years and also great managers but the one thing that has not changed is the culture of winning. Looking at their managers over the years one can see that the club has a defined culture which is a mainstay.

Have the right Managers over the years

Source: wikipedia

  • Netherlands Frank Rijkaard (June 2003     June 2008 )    2 La Liga, 2 Supercopa de España, 1 UEFA Champions League
  • Spain Pep Guardiola ( June 2008     June 2012)    3 La Liga, 2 Copa del Rey, 3 Supercopa de España, 2 UEFA Champions League, 2 UEFA Super Cup, 2 FIFA Club World Cup
  • Spain Tito Vilanova     (June 2012     July 2013 )    1 La Liga
  • Argentina Gerardo Martino (July 2013     May 2014 )    1 Supercopa de España
  • Spain Luis Enrique    (May 2014     Present )    1 La Liga, 1 Copa del Rey, 1 UEFA Champions League, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 FIFA Club World Cup

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Looking at the list of trophies  won since 2003 by  Barcelona, it is clear to see that the club has an inbuilt need to succeed. It not just about hiring a manager, it is also about getting a manager that fits into the culture of the club. This is why some managers no matter how good they are in other clubs, they might never be hired to work for Barcelona. It is about being able to carry on with the culture of the club. This is why the club does not look for world famous managers but rather picks from its repertoire of home grown or closely related managers. They will not go looking for the Mourinhos of this world because the culture of the club comes first. From Pep Guardiola in 2008, these are all Barcelona specific managers who were not world accomplished in management.

Have the right Players

Messi is not your typical player such as those that English managers would look for, however he is arguably the best player in the world. Culture is about being able to pick the players that are right for the culture. It’s not about selecting egos, or reputations but selecting players who are adaptable to the culture of the club.  When you are looking for the right partner, employees or just friends you have to look at the following

  • Will the person fit into the culture?
  • Does the person have what it takes to adapt to your culture?

Also read Lionel Messi’s 5 Leadership Lessons

Have the right environment to accommodate champions

Camp Nou is not for small teams, it is a stadium built for world beaters and that is what Barcelona is. If you want to house a champion then build a house fit for  a champion. The same thing applies with work and home, if you want the best then be prepared to house the best. You do not build a stadium with a sitting capacity of over 99,000 only to house a league 3 team. Most companies make the mistake of wanting to hire champions but not being able to have capacity for the champions to do what they are good at. A player like Neymar must play in a big stadium because that is what fits him. Suarez as a champion player is a big stadium player not just because of who he is but the standard that he sets for football.

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Have the system in place

To build a winning a culture then have the system in place. Ensure that everyone who walks into the company or club does not have to figure things out, everything is in place to lead them to victory. Players should not start looking for resources or what they are supposed to do. It should be obvious. A winning culture is like an arrow leading you to the trophy, all everyone has to do is apply themselves to their best ability and that is what they will achieve.  Barcelona are not where they are in club success by incident, it is a deliberate culture.

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