Lessons from sports and music: leadership is what makes others 'play well'
In recent decades, different sports have offered us remarkable examples of the impact of leadership on team performance. More than tactics or motivation, these cases highlight the central role of the leader in building consistent teams capable of achieving excellence even in adverse scenarios.
A recent example comes from Brazilian football. At the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Fluminense reached the semifinals against expectations. It was not the team with the most valuable squad, nor the favorite of the media or analysts. Even so, it overcame opponents with greater economic power and international visibility. A significant part of this run has been attributed to the work of its coach, Renato Gaúcho.
Renato, besides being a former elite player, is part of the select group of professionals who have won the Copa Libertadores as both player and coach. His leadership at the Club World Cup reinforces a key point: the role of leadership as a catalyst for systemic performance. With limited resources compared to European clubs, he was able to build tactical coherence, confidence in the squad and clarity of purpose – attributes that go beyond football and speak to the contemporary challenges of management.
The analogy is pertinent. In organizational contexts, leaders also do not “take the field” in the direct execution of tasks, but their impact is decisive in creating an environment conducive to consistent results. They are responsible for setting strategic directions, allocating capabilities, developing competencies and, above all, structuring work systems that allow teams to operate at higher levels of autonomy and quality.
The world of sports offers other emblematic examples. Phil Jackson, at the helm of the Chicago Bulls, led the team to six NBA titles. Not only because he had talents like Michael Jordan, but because he developed a leadership philosophy based on cohesion, mutual trust and clarity of roles. Bill Belichick, in the NFL, built a dynasty with the Patriots through consistent routines, intensive use of data and a focus on teamwork – principles perfectly applicable to leadership in the corporate environment.
However, not all leadership is on the sidelines or on the bench. In many cases, it manifests itself in the game itself, in the figure of athletes who take on the responsibility of organizing, guiding and inspiring their teammates in real time. These are technical and behavioral leaderships that do not depend on a captain's armband or fiery speeches, but are expressed in attitude, in example and in the ability to make the team perform better with their presence.
At the same Fluminense, players like Felipe Melo or Marcelo – both with international careers – played this role, helping to sustain the team's emotional balance, correcting positioning on the field and reinforcing the unity of the group even under pressure.
Outside sports, this type of leadership is also clearly revealed. In the world of music, for example, conductors like Leonard Bernstein or producers like Quincy Jones were responsible for connecting distinct talents around a single purpose. Jones, when producing albums such as Michael Jackson's “Thriller”, did not merely organize arrangements and musical structures – he created the conditions for musicians and technicians to work in a coordinated and efficient way. His leadership was discreet but decisive: he connected different skills to achieve a superior result. Just as in organizations, it is a matter of understanding that the leader's role is to enable the group's performance, not to occupy the center of attention.
The collaborative dynamics of some rock bands also offer fertile ground for identifying less visible but essential leaderships – those that organize and integrate the talent of the other members. John Paul Jones, in Led Zeppelin, wove together complex arrangements and provided the foundation for his bandmates' virtuosity. George Harrison, in the Beatles, reconciled egos and brought emotional balance and sophisticated musical contributions, without seeking center stage. David Gilmour, when he took over the guitars in Pink Floyd after Syd Barrett's departure, brought stability and turned visionary ideas into tangible musical works. In all these cases, leadership manifested itself not in direct command, but in the ability to make others “play better”.
The diversity of these examples – from sports, music and other forms of group work – reveals a common pattern: leading is not about dominating, but about creating the conditions for the whole to function at its best. It is this logic that also underpins the concept of “lean leadership”, an approach that sees the leader as a facilitator, technical mentor and enhancer of capabilities. In practice, it means building environments in which knowledge flows, real problems are tackled at their source and performance improvement is the result of a structured, deliberate and shared effort.
In times of high turnover, accelerated technological transformations and coexistence between generations with very different repertoires, leading is no longer merely synonymous with commanding and controlling. Increasingly, it means structuring, enabling and sustaining – not through heroism, but through intelligent, adaptable management practices that are constantly evolving. This change is not an imposition, but a concrete opportunity to rethink the role of leadership and strengthen the real foundations of teamwork.
Organizations that understand this logic are more likely to build a sustainable competitive advantage. After all, winning bands and teams are not formed by talent alone, but by leaders capable of activating it at the right time, in the right way and with a focus on what really matters. Leadership, in this context, is not individual stardom — it is the responsibility of setting up the game so that the team executes intelligently, and of leading the preparation process that allows the band to play together, with rigor and intention. In sports or in music, it is not improvisation that sustains performance, but the solidity of the foundation on which it rests.
