A few days ago I created a TikTok profile, despite the fact that I fought against having another social network for a very long time. I was convinced by the information that you can “choose” the topics and contents that interest you and can only review them. I immediately looked for people I follow on IG or FB or just online, and I admit, their content is even richer on TikTok. Wow. So, I listened to an author who said that content/videos should be short and to the point, without long introductions and conclusions like we were taught in school. That time has apparently passed.

So, let’s get to the point: Why did I decide to write this blog? Because… in my years of working in sports management, in many elaborate projects and travels around the world, I met and worked with many different calibers of managers. To those to whom I am still grateful today for the knowledge they gave me and to those who do not even have the basics to be leaders. My writing will not be purely theoretical and will not only summarize books, sayings, and the like, I will try to connect theory with my experiences in a clear way. Because, you know, there are many authors, writers, professors, etc., self-proclaimed experts who haven’t experienced first-hand what they are lecturing about, how can they know what the reality is? Difficult. The theory is true, of course, but only up to a point. Experience, or extracts from experience are what build us and make us better. If, of course, we want personal progress.

BTW: so much for not writing long introductions.

So, back to the point: WHY BLOG? Because I would like more people in positions who understand that being a leader does not mean being “better” than others, because I want to hear more about good leaders than about “dictators” around us, because the world would be better if leaders knew how to say THANK YOU AND GOOD JOB, and I wish most of all that maybe someone could take away some lesson from my experience that will come in handy on their path: personal or business. Since I don’t have any supernatural powers, of course my wishes are just modest wishes, but… maybe I inspire some young future leader.

#myblog is not professional reading material, it is just what I learned in theory and experienced in real situations and collected all together in my thoughts & words.

Leadership is a RELATIONSHIP.

“Leading people requires genuine personal connection, but in the information age, creating that connection is very difficult.” (By Michael S. Erwin and Willys DeVoll)

It is really difficult, but still possible and very necessary. Being personally connected to your team is the only true recipe for long-term success. A sincere, honest and human relationship between the leader and the team/staff means a solid foundation for all the challenges that follow. Let’s think for comparison of navigating a ship, its captain and crew members. There must be 100% trust between the captain and the crew members in carrying out the tasks so that the ship can safely sail in the right direction. Could the ship sail long-term without a crew? No way. Could the crew work without a captain in the long term? Probably yes, but at some point there would be friction between them, we would lose control of the navigation. So, for calm, safe and successful sailing, harmony must prevail between all the members. Each article is important in achieving the long-term goal. Have we understood the comparison?

Manager, staff, organization performance, goal. Everything is interconnected. Harmony between manager and staff is key to achieving the goal.

Simon Sinek gave one of the best explanations: Imagine being in a personal partnership with someone who never listens to you, who is convinced that he is always right, knows everything and constantly makes you feel inferior? Now imagine that such a person leads an organization and treats his employees and his team in this way. It’s not ok, is it?

Some leaders reach a certain level of success, a certain level of renown, and immediately think that they are better than others, that they are always right, and immediately make a basic mistake; they only surround themselves with people who always prove them right, even with the worst possible ideas and suggestions. However, staff who are not ready to nod blindly and still want to progress are automatically treated as third-class. With this way of management, all creativity and desire/possibility for progress is automatically killed.

So WHY #myblog? That’s why. This is just the beginning.

Be a leader, not a boss.

PS: I will be happy to receive any response, “feel free” to comment, ask for advice, write your opinion…