On ‘RUSSIA, SPAIN AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP’ By Dunstan Wasobokha

Another shocking result, Spain got kicked out of the 2018 world cup qualifiers. Really shocking? Perhaps not, we have seen...


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Another shocking result, Spain got kicked out of the 2018 world cup qualifiers. Really shocking?

Perhaps not, we have seen powerhouses such as Germany, Portugal and Argentina packing their bags and heading straight home from Russia. For Russia however, this is history in the making as they are advancing to the quarterfinals of the world cup for the first time.

What entrepreneurship lessons can we learn from the 2018 World Cup, so far?

  1. HOME SUPPORT AND CONFIDENCE: There is no substitute for home support in sport and entrepreneurship. If the match had been played away from Russia, chances are high that the current host team nation would have been eliminated far earlier, from the competition. Do you have an entrepreneur at home, in your street, at your workplace or at your church? Support, encourage them; do all that you can to make them win the world cup.
  2. RECOVER: Russia had an own goal earlier in the match – this is very common in sports where often, while doing your very best, mistakes happen. Do not despair. Learn from your mistakes; just do not repeat them and continue pushing forward. Never Give Up!
  3. CONFIDENCE: There are many ‘Spanish hurdles’ in business: the big boys enjoying all the market share; access to capital; office space; Competitors stealing your business secrets; new (VC backed) entrants with big purchasing power etc. Your response? Do not be intimidated…you too can overcome the challenges and qualify for the quarterfinals. Keep pushing, keep your head up. If Russia can do it…?
  4. TEAM WORK: Let us admit, Russia does not meet the class of the Spaniards. The gulf in class is incomparable. Al Russian Players are the underdogs; nobody knows then. Whereas, all the Spanish players play for the biggest football clubs in the world. What Russia lacked in terms of class or quality.. they compensated for in terms of team work. In business, are you operating as a lone ranger? Do you buy alone? Are you part of a business association? Then you are going to lose out from rivals in the game….find trusted business people, pool resources and match the Spanish in your industry.
  5. MAINTAIN COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: I only watched the dying minutes of the match, but what I did see was Russia defending heavily and frustrating Spain and relying on counter attacks. I thought that was a mistake because I had watched my favourite African teams losing in dying minutes because of desperately defending and making mistakes. How about Russia? They were playing for penalties and so wanted to drag the match and drive it towards their strength…penalties! At the end of the match, I saw Russian fans celebrating and as they say…the rest is history! For Russia, everything went according to their script…they deserve the victory!

In business wait for your opportune moment, be prepared for the right time and grab opportunities. To read more posts by Danstan, click HERE

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