[C] Photo credits: Charles-Albert Diatta
Hrvatska verzija dolje ↓
“On our bus there is a slogan SMALL COUNTRY WITH BIG DREAMS.
That’s a good message to all. You have to believe it’s possible.
You have to have a dream and ambitions,
and then maybe it will come true – in football or in life.”
– Zlatko Dalić, coach of the Croatian National Team
Croatia has entered this World Cup competition in silence. We were in the run with biggest and strongest teams in the world. Brazil was World Cup winner five times, Germany four times, Uruguay and Argentina two times, England, Spain and France once. In every single statistic most of these nations were at the top of the performance scale. Croatia is nowhere close to those giants and their historic achievements. Croatia as an independent country exists for only 27 years. We were the fourth smallest nation of this competition. Our resources were small, our support was small, statistics did not show us brilliantly and predictions for our success were showing possibility but no one seemed to dare to predict any significant result . Our team did not have any of the leading names of the world football, nor did our boys seem to possess extraordinary talents compared to some renowned names that other teams could rely on.
Despite all of the above and many more reasons why many people could have considered Croatia to be the underdogs, the following things happened:
- Croatia finishes as runners-up of the Cup, this being its personal best score of all times
- Croatian captain Luka Modrić was awarded the best player of the Cup
- Croatia was the best team of the Cup in terms of ball possession
- Throughout the competition, Croatia was defeated only once – in the final
- Croatia won against nations that were from 10 to 40 times its size
- Croatia won against teams with the best players in the world
- Croatia demonstrated extraordinary skill and fought extremely hard to deserve its place in the finals – via three extra time games and two shootout battles
- Croatia was the smallest country to reach a World Cup final since Uruguay in 1950
In 31 days from Croatian engagement and their performance, I have drawn 31 success lessons that will stay with me long after this football euphoria calms down.
- Anything is possible. You are only limited by your beliefs.
- If you want a chance to win, you need to participate! You need to put yourself out there for the world to see.
- Aim for the moon! Even if you miss, you will end up among the stars!
- Success is a personal thing and depends where you stand and where you started from. The only person you should compare yourself to is you of yesterday!
- You can win even if you are small and what you have to offer seems insignificant.
- You can win even if 90% of your competitors are bigger, stronger and more experienced than you.
- Chances of you winning today have nothing to do with the fact that your competitors won so many times in the past. With every new attempt, a reset button has been hit. No fact from the past can predict the future accurately enough.
- You can win regardless of not having resources or expertise like the others do. It is what you are willing to do with what you have that matters.
- You can achieve great results regardless of being new to the field of play. You don’t need to exist for years and years on the playing field to be able to get to big results. If you are impactful enough, you can have big success after only a small number of attempts.
- In order to attempt something big, team up with people who share your passion. Create a strong bond with them and assure you are all working towards the same goal!
- Choose wisely who you will follow. Good leaders empower you to give out your best for the team and for good results. Good leaders work hard alongside its followers to assure common success. Good leader does not make decisions that advance him and his position, but sacrifices to increase chances of the team advancing together. Success of his team is his biggest success.
- Work hard on building a good-quality product that you will show to the world once it’s showtime. The amount of energy and focus you invest in making your team and your products stronger is directly proportional to your success.
- Every preparation is work done in darkness. There are no guarantees of success or any reward, but if you want to have any CHANCE of seeing the light of success and reward, you need to keep working and keep going through the darkness.
- You are never anywhere where you are not supposed to be, and nothing is given to you that you did not deserve. If you were given a chance – take it! It belongs to you.
- Even if you don’t believe you deserve it, the fact is – you are there. So, when your national anthem plays honoring you, stand there proud and – honor yourself, too.
- No one was ever a winner of anything worth having, who did not work hard to obtain it.
- Regardless of what others think of you, keep going and keep fighting. It doesn’t matter who watches and who believes. The most important is that YOU believe!
- Continue walking your path and fighting hard regardless of how fierce your competition is. There are many factors that determine success. Keep focusing on your work, and not on others.
- No matter how many advantages your competition seems to have on paper and throughout history, they still have to prove their strength in every single game over and over again.
- It does not matter how many ‘bigger’ and ‘stronger’ teams there are in the competition. They are only bigger and stronger if you let them win.
- Celebrate every victory, but keep your feet on the ground. The competition is not over after a single game. Winners are announced only at the end.
- Do not expect anyone to cheer you on from the beginning. Why would they? First show them you are worth cheering for!
- Even when it seems that you are losing – your resources, strength and advance, keep going – it ain’t over until it’s over!
- If you keep going and keep believing, also others will start believing in you. If you keep going others will offer you their support and help.
- Once you show that you are fearless and you are here to stay, the whole world will cheer you on including people who never heard about you, people who couldn’t care less, people who mocked you and people who did not want you to win. They will all stand by your side once you show them your worth.
- If it has never been done, it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. It just means that no one dared to dream that big. Here is your opportunity!
- Stay true to yourself and employ tactics you strongly believe in. That is how you show integrity. People who show integrity are respected by everyone.
- Don’t try to be like anyone else. Every person and every team is unique. Invest in investigating what your unique strengths are and rely on them to deliver a strong game that will stand out.
- Everyone’s role is important in winning. Assume your role and make sure you are giving your best while performing it. If a goalkeeper starts thinking ‘Why am I not shooting a ball?’ all is lost.
- Any role, job or contribution, no matter how insignificant it might seem, if done well and from the heart, has a potential to motivate and inspire millions of people!
- Work and passion of a small team of people, or even just a single individual has the power to change lives of an entire nation. That’s how important it is to #liveyourtruth and share your passion with the world!
Could you find more success lessons? Add them down below in comments!
Što sam o uspjehu naučila sa Svjetskog Prvenstva
“Na našem autobusu je slogan MALA ZEMLJA S VELIKIM SNOVIMA.
To je dobra poruka za sve. Moraš vjerovati da je moguće.
Moraš imati san i ambicije i onda možda
to se sve i ostvari – u nogometu ili u životu.”
– Zlatko Dalić, izbornik Hrvatske Nogometne Reprezentacije
Hrvatska je ušla u ovo Svjetsko Prvenstvo u tišini. Bili smo u nadmetanju s najvećim i najboljim ekipama svijeta. Brazil je pobijedio na Svjetskom Prvenstvu pet puta, Njemačka četiri, Urugvaj i Argentina dvaput, Engleska, Španjolska i Francuska jednom. U gotovo svakoj od statistika te su nacije bile na vrhu ljestvica po svojim rezultatima. Hrvatska nije nigdje u blizini tih giganata i njihovih povijesnih ostvarenja. Hrvatska kao neovisna zemlja postoji samo 27 godina. Na prvenstvu bili smo četvrta najmanja nacija po veličini. Naši su resursi bili mali, naša podrška bila je mala, statistike nas nisu prikazivale briljantnima, a prognoze za uspjeh pokazivale su mogućnost, ali nitko se nije usudio prognozirati neki značajni rezultat. Naš tim nije imao ni jedno od velikih imena svjetskog nogometa, niti se činilo da naši dečki posjeduju ekstraordinarne talente naprema renomiranim imenima na koje su se druge nacije mogle osloniti.
Unatoč tome i još puno razloga zbog kojih je Hrvatska mogla biti smatrana otpadnicima, sljedeće se dogodilo:
- Hrvatska završava srebrena, svojim najboljim plasmanom svih vremena
- Hrvatski kapetan Luka Modrić osvaja priznanje najboljeg igrača Prvenstva
- Hrvatska je najbolji tim Prvenstva u posjedovanju lopte
- Na Prvenstvu Hrvatska je poražena samo jednom – u finalu
- Hrvatska je pobijedila u utakmicama protiv nacija koje su bile 10 do 40 puta njihove veličine
- Hrvatska je pobijedila timove s najboljim igračima svijeta
- Hrvatska je pokazala izvanredne kompetencije i borila se izrazito snažno kako bi zaslužila svoje mjesto u finalu – kroz tri utakmice s produžetcima i dvije borbe u penalima
- Od 1950-te kada je to bio Urugvaj, Hrvatska je najmanja zemlja koja je sudjelovala u finalu Svjetskog prvenstva
U 31 dan iz Hrvatskog sam angažmana i njihovih rezultata izvukla 31 lekciju o uspjehu koje će sa mnom ostati još dugo nakon što se ova nogometna euforija stiša.
- Sve je moguće. Limitiran si samo svojim vjerovanjima.
- Ako želiš šansu za pobjedu, moraš prvo sudjelovati! Moraš se usuditi pokazati svijetu.
- Ciljaj na mjesec! Čak i ako promašiš, završiti ćeš među zvijezdama.
- Uspjeh je osobna stvar i ovisi o tome gdje si i odakle si krenuo. Jedina osoba s kojom bi se trebao uspoređivati si ti od jučer!
- Možeš pobijediti čak i ako si malen i ono što imaš za ponuditi se čini nevažnim.
- Možeš pobijediti čak i ako je 90% tvojih suparnika veće, jače i iskusnije od tebe.
- Šanse da ti danas pobijediš nemaju veze s činjenicom da su tvoji suparnici pobijedili toliko puta u prošlosti. Sa svakim novim pokušajem pritišćemo reset dugme. Ni jedna činjenica iz prošlosti ne može dovoljno dobro predvidjeti budućnost.
- Možeš pobijediti bez obzira na to što nemaš resurse ili ekspertizu kakvu drugi imaju. Važno je što si spreman učiniti s onim što imaš.
- Možeš ostvariti dobre rezultate bez obzira na to što si novi u nekom području. Ne trebaš postojati godinama. Ako ostaviš dovoljan utjecaj, možeš postići veliki uspjeh i nakon samo par pokušaja.
- Kad želiš pokušati nešto veliko, ujedini se s ljudima koji dijele tvoju strast. Razvij jaku povezanost s njima i osiguraj da svi radite prema istim ciljevima.
- Mudro odaberi koga ćeš slijediti. Dobri vođe te osnažuju da daš najbolje od sebe za ekipu i dobre rezultate. Dobri vođe naporno rade bok uz bok sa svojim sljedbenicima kako bi osigurali zajednički uspjeh. Dobar vođa ne donosi odluke koje će favorizirati njega i osigurati njegovo napredovanje, već se žrtvuje kako bi povećao šanse da ekipa napreduje zajedno. Uspjeh njegovog tima je njegov najveći uspjeh.
- Radi naporno na razvijanju dobrog proizvoda koji ćeš moći pokazati svijetu kad spektakl krene. Količina energije koju uložiš i mogućnost da se usmjeriš na osnaživanje tima i razvijanje dobrog proizvoda proporcionalni su tvom uspjehu.
- Svaka priprema je rad u tami. Nema garancije uspjeha ili nagrade, ali ako želiš ikakve ŠANSE da ugledaš svjetlo uspjeha i nagrade moraš nastaviti raditi u tami.
- Nikad nisi nigdje gdje ne bi trebao biti i ništa ti nije dano što nisi zaslužio. Ako si dobio šansu – zgrabi je jer ti pripada!
- Čak i ako misliš da ne zaslužuješ biti gdje jesi, činjenica je – tu si. Kad se začuje himna u tvoju čast, stani ponosno i odaj i ti počast samom sebi.
- Nitko nikada nije osvojio ništa što je bilo vrijedno imati, tko nije naporno radio da to ostvari.
- Bez obzira na to što drugi mislili o tebi, nastavi raditi i nastavi boriti se. Nije važno tko gleda i tko vjeruje. Najvažnije je da TI vjeruješ!
- Nastavi svojim putem hrabro se boriti, bez obzira koliko tvoji rivali bili neustrašivi. Mnogo je faktora koji determiniraju uspjeh. Koncentriraj se na svoj rad, a ne na druge.
- Bez obzira koliko se tvoji suparnici činili jačina na papiru i u prošlosti, trebati će dokazati svoju snagu u svakoj pojedinoj utakmici ponovno i ponovno.
- Nema veze koliko je ‘većih’ i ‘jačih’ ekipa na natjecanju. Oni su veći i jači samo ako im dopustiš da pobjede.
- Slavi svoju pobjedu, ali ostani s nogama na zemlji. Natjecanje nije gotovo nakon prve pobjede. Pobjednici se proglašavaju tek na kraju.
- Ne očekuj da te nitko bodri na početku. Zašto bi? Pokaži im najprije da si vrijedan bodrenja!
- Čak i kad se čini da gubiš – resurse, snagu i vodstvo, nastavi! Nije gotovo dok nije gotovo!
- Ako nastaviš raditi i nastaviš vjerovati, i drugi će početi vjerovati u tebe. Ako nastaviš, drugi će ti ponuditi podršku i pomoć.
- Kad pokažeš da nemaš straha i da si tu da ostaneš, cijeli će te svijet početi bodriti, uključujući ljude koji nisu nikad čuli za tebe, one koje nije bilo briga, one koji su te ismijavali i one koji nisu htjeli da pobijediš. Svi će stajati uz tebe kad im pokažeš svoju vrijednost.
- Ako nikad nije bilo učinjeno do sada, to ne znači da je nemoguće. To samo znači da se nitko nije usudio sanjati tako velike snove. Ovo je tvoja šansa!
- Ostani vjeran sebi i koristi taktike u koje duboko vjeruješ. Na taj način pokazuješ integritet. Ljude s integritetom svi poštuju.
- Ne pokušavaj biti kao nitko drugi. Svaka osoba i svaka ekipa je posebna. Uloži u to da nađeš koje su tvoje jedinstvene snage i koristi ih kako bi pokazao jaku igru koja će se izdignuti iz mase.
- Uloga svakog pojedinca važna je za pobjedu. Koja god bila tvoja uloga, osiguraj da ju odradiš najbolje što možeš. Ako golman počne misliti ‘Zašto ja nisam napadač?’, sve je izgubljeno.
- Svaka uloga, posao ili doprinos, bez obzira koliko malen se činio, ako je dobro odrađen i od srca, ima potencijal da motivira i inspirira milijune ljudi!
- Rad i strast male grupe ljudi ili čak jednog pojedinca ima moć da promjeni živote cijele jedne nacije. Toliko je važno #živjetisvojuistinu i dijeliti svoju strast s drugima!
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