The above was the score of the German – Brazil match in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup. And, to make matters worse, in a country where soccer is a religion, the Brazilians suffered the humiliation at home.
It wasn’t a loss; it was a total embarrassment in front of thousands of rabid fans and millions of television viewers.
This is what sport and leadership can sometimes be about.
One minute the Brazil players are heroes in their country because they are members of The National Team in one of the greatest countries in soccer history. What an achievement! However, the next minute they set a World Cup record by participating in worst margin of defeat in the history of the World Cup. Even the German team said they could not believe it when they scored five goals in eighteen minutes of the first half!
If you are an athlete or a coach for a long period of time, there most likely will come a time when sport embarrasses you. When you accept a leadership position, you are most likely setting yourself up for embarrassing moments.
How do you react to these difficult times?
Pat Riley, the former NBA player and coach and current Miami Heat president, may have addressed it best when he said, “Success is getting up one more time than you’ve been knocked down.”
It’s tough to get up, but get up you must!