The Defeat Before the Trophy

“Disasterclass”

“Misery for Messi!”

“Saudi Arabia Leaves Another Scar on Argentina’s Soul.”

These were the headlines not from years or months’ past but from just a couple of weeks ago when Lionel Messi and Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia, 2-1, in their opening match at the 2022 World Cup.

Less than 30 days later, Messi is being hailed a hero once again after leading Argentina over France in penalty kicks in the World Cup Final on Sunday to claim the nation’s first title in four decades.

Why does this matter to us? What’s the leadership lesson from a tournament we may have paid little attention to?

Many teams enter a season or business cycle with elite talent and high expectations.

This often creates an external perception that success should come instantly — particularly against lesser competition — and that the truly elite never see their performance waiver.

But Argentina’s title was a reminder that present struggle isn’t necessarily an indicator that things have gone off the rails or that we need to reinvent the wheel to get back on track and avoid horrible disappointment.

When a crushing early setback happens, we instead would be wise to:

1. Keep control of our emotions while tuning out the opinions of outsiders2. Avoid making rash choices about our strategy or personnel in the heat of the moment3. Consider what long-term good/cultural lessons can possibly come from the disappointment4. Weigh whether we need to make a strategic adjustment or simply need more reps

“There are no excuses. We are going to be more united than ever,” Messi said after the Saudi Arabia loss. “This team is strong, and we’ve shown it in the past. We didn’t expect to start in this way, but things happen for a reason.”

The “GOAT” posts dominated social media on Sunday as fans across the world celebrated Messi’s brilliance and his first World Cup.

But we, too, might be wise to draw from Argentina’s approach not just during the good times but during despair.

Sometimes, the greatest adjustment of all isn’t with tactics or strategy — but in our ability to see the benefits of the initial setback.