Clock Building, Not Time Telling

Built to Last by Jim Collins is an amazing book! An excerpt from one of the earlier chapters says:

“Imagine you met a remarkable person who could look at the sun or stars at any time day or night and state the exact time and date: “It’s April 23, 1401, 2:36 AM, and 12 seconds.  This person would be an amazing time teller, and we ‘d probably revere that person for the ability to tell time. But wouldn’t that person be even more amazing if, instead of telling the time, he or she built a clock that could tell time forever, even after he or she was dead and gone?” (Collins, 23)

So, what does this have to do with soccer? Everything! Visionary leaders of clubs are thinking more about building a clock by creating a culture and way of doing things that will out last them.  They are looking to build something lasting.  The club itself is the ultimate creation, as that will allow the club to continue to have an impact on players for a long time. It is about a shift in vision where the leader of a club has to think less about themselves and more about the club by becoming an organizational visionary.  In order to do this though, clubs have to get away from the thinking of we have always done it this way so we must have to always keep doing it this way.