Read Time: 5 min

The Idea: The Power of Belief

Note: We first told this story last September. We’ve been in the trenches the last few weeks with a couple dozen coaches and programs amid their seasons. There’s been a constant theme to many of the conversations, and it’s all about messaging across the season to generate belief, cohesion, and morale. So, we thought it’d be a good idea to dust off this fantastic example of belief from a team you’ve likely never heard of.

As a leader, the depth of your belief fuels your actions and profoundly impacts those you lead. Let’s take a little more time than usual to tell a story (trust us, it’s worth your time).

Story-Time: The Lesser-Known Miracle

If you're a sports fan, you know of the 1980s Miracle on Ice and the belief that Herb Brooks, USA National Hockey coach, instilled in his team with his famous “You were born for this” speech before their game against the USSR.

You likely have never heard of the 1992 Denmark National Football (Soccer) team coached by Richard Møller Nielsen. Here’s the cliff notes version of that team’s story (there’s plenty more there if you want it).

• Denmark had never won an international competition and wasn’t even expected to qualify for the 1992 European Championships.

• Nielsen was only hired in 1990 after several foreign managers turned the job down.

• Nielsen was a career coach from the Danish league. Denmark isn’t exactly known for its soccer prowess, so the hire was frowned upon by just about everyone domestically. How would a career Danish coach help them outperform the legendary German or Dutch sides?

• The Danish team’s two best players, Michael and Brian Laudrup (brothers), the team’s closest to stars, quit when he was hired.

• The team failed to qualify for the 1992 European Championships.

• Only 11 days before the European Championships, Yugoslavia was banned from the competition due to the Yugoslav Wars. Denmark was in their qualifying group and was chosen to replace Yugoslavia.

• Nielsen personally called his players when they were on holiday and had to convince most of them of the potential of a makeshift, last-second team.

• The entire squad didn’t get together until three days before the tournament.

• The team wasn’t even expected to make it out of group play, with many expecting them to finish last. They made it out of their group by upsetting France, a significant European power, 2-1 in their final group game.

• One of the team’s leading scorers, Kim Vilfort, had to leave the team before their semifinal game against the Netherlands to comfort his soon-to-pass 7-year-old daughter in her battle with Leukemia. Nielsen gave Vilfort as much time as needed, only returning close to an hour before the game.

• In penalties, they defeated the reigning European champions, Netherlands, 2-2 (5-4).

• The team went on to win the European Championships by beating the reigning world champions, Germany, 2-0. The final goal of the competition was scored by, you guessed it, Kim Vilfort.

What a story!

So, how did Nielsen lead his team to this massive upset?

His players remembered Nielsen for doing two things. First, he never made the moment bigger than it was. Here’s a quote from Nielsen.

“I could have made an alibi for the team and said we had no chance to win any games. But I did not. I got the players to think of the first match against England.”

Second, he believed in them. He communicated that belief more than he communicated anything else to his team.

From Kim Vilfort, “Richard always believed in us, even when we doubted ourselves. His belief was infectious.”

So, what’s in this for us as leaders?

There’s a term in Sports Psychology research called “Positive Momentum.” (see this study on confidence in world-class athletes). It’s the sense that things are going well. When teams, players, and employees SENSE that things are going well (whether they are or not), their confidence increases, which significantly enhances performance. Sidenote: we’ll let you guess what negative momentum does for teams.

So, how can we do what Nielsen did for our teams? What practices should we consider? Here are three ideas.

On Cultivating Belief:

1. You can’t give what you don’t have: Before imparting belief to your team, assess your own. Do you genuinely believe in your vision, strategies, and team's abilities?

2. Affirm Your Team's Strengths: Regularly acknowledge and applaud your team's strengths. Plan it into your days, weeks and meetings as a leader. Be intentional. Your words make a significant difference.

3. Create Systems for Positive Reinforcement: Encourage teammates to lift each other up. Never forget - there’s a lot of evidence that peer reinforcement is more impactful than from the top-down.

Conclusion.

Remember, a leader's belief in their team doesn't just boost morale; it amplifies performance. When you believe in someone more than they believe in themselves, you are offering them a gift of untapped potential.

Team Talks

One of the significant topics coaches ask us about is messaging.

Chances are, if we see a Head Coach’s name pop up on our phone, and they’re in-season, they want to share where their team is in their season and ask how to craft a message to maximize performance.

We know you’re tired of scrolling through YouTube, Instagram, and X (Twitter), looking for a motivational video that you hope and pray will resonate with your team.

We were asked so much that we created a more permanent solution.

And that’s Team Talks.

What are Team Talks?

Team Talks are short, 10-minute-or-less videos to use with your team, focused on mindset, leadership, and performance. They’re evidence-based ideas with stories to capture your team’s heart. Each video comes with an exercise to make the lesson stick. They are used by state, conference, and national champions. We have Team Talks on:

• Adversity

• Accountability

• Teamwork

• Discipline

• Mindset

• Elite Performance

There are currently 18 (the length of a typical season). We will build the library over the next few months to have thirty-six.

Team Talks set you up with the right message at the right time for your team.

And for a limited time, we’re offering them a 25% discount. Get Team Talks today.

The Culture Playbook + Cohorts

Coaches have access to a lot of coaching content. What they lack are systems.

The Culture Playbook is 10 leadership ideas with the exercises you need to install the ideas and culture into your program. It’s the exact system we use to help coaches build their programs around mindset, leadership, and performance. We’ve used it at schools like Oklahoma, Mississippi State, and Florida State.

Since the Culture Playbook was released almost a year ago, nearly 1,000 coaches have purchased and are using it for their programs.

You can get it for your program today.

Culture Playbook Cohorts

We are offering Culture Playbook Cohorts if you’re interested in exploring the Culture Playbook on a deeper level.

We’ve had a few dozen commitments over the last week and aren’t starting with very many cohorts, so reserve your spot today!

Monthly Calls + Powerful Content + Practical Application + Community = Accelerate Your Growth

If interested, simply DM Seth or Kevin on Twitter.