4 Things Companies Can Learn from Liverpool’s Mane-Salah Football Saga

Liverpool’s victory over Burnley was overshadowed by the outburst of Sadio Mane. The Liverpool forward was upset with his teammate, Mohammed Salah.

Mo Salah should have passed the ball to Mane who was in a better position to score but he opted to shoot with his right foot. However, he wasted the golden opportunity that could have added to the three goals they already had.

Mane wasn’t pleased with this and he showed his anger while being substituted. Some were too quick to judge Mane for lack of professionalism, while some blamed Mo Salah for being selfish.

However, I think we can pick out positives instead of sitting and blaming who was right or wrong.

Let’s analyze the Mane-Salah situation and relate it to the work environment:

• Hunger: Both players showed they are hungry to score more goals despite leading by three goals, and with the match already but won. This is a display of winning mentality and which is good for the team. If companies have workers that are hungry to do more irrespective of the success they’ve had, then such companies will continue to soar high.

• Competition: Mane and Salah are competitors. They both won the golden boot last season, and also have always been battling each other for the African Footballer Award. This type of competition is good for the team as both will always want to be on top of his game to outshine the other. The team will definitely reap from this type of competition because none of them is resting on his laurels. Competition is needed amongst workers to drive productivity and growth. If company workers have this type of mentality as well, then the company is moving in the right direction.

• Honesty: Trust me, Mane was being honest by showing his other side. I know many would have said, he should have handled it in a more mature manner, but the truth is – his outburst was a pure display of honesty. Mo Salah will definitely learn from this. Sometimes the best way to correct people is, to be honest about how you feel about them. In a company where a worker feel offended by another colleague, if he can’t say it to his face, then it tends to turn malicious and aggravate internal conflict that could come back to haunt the company. While you blame Mane for his outburst, give him credit for his honest display. After all, we are all human.

• Risk: Mo Salah should have passed the ball but he chose to risk it instead. Having workers that can shut their ears to the noise around and take the risk is a blessing in disguise for the company. While you blame Salah, remember that anything that is worth doing is also worth risking. Success lies in taking risks.

As much as teamwork makes the dream work, remember, some members of the team must also possess some traits like risk-taking, honesty, competitive-mindset, and hunger.

Something that we can see in the Mane-Salah rivalry. While we sit and judge them, we can also learn from their rivalry.