Insights to help you lead where you are
Leadership in Victory and Defeat
Stop blaming the referee.
Stop complaining about corruption.
And stop acting like the world is against you.
Now that I’ve upset half the football fans reading this, let’s talk about leadership.
As we enter the second half of the year, the lessons from the world’s biggest sporting stage might be exactly what many of us need to hear.
I have a confession to make. I’m not really a soccer – sorry, football – fan. Yet, like millions around the world, I found myself caught up in the drama, passion, and unpredictability of the FIFA World Cup. As I watched the final whistle blow and Spain crowned World Champions, I was struck by the contrast unfolding before us. On one side was the elation of the Spanish players and supporters. On the other, the devastation and tears of the Argentinian team and fans.
It reminded me that leadership is often tested not by the result itself, but by how we respond when the result is known.
Whether in leadership, business, ministry, or life, every season eventually delivers a scoreline. Some seasons feel like a championship run. Others feel more like a heartbreaking defeat. Most of us will experience both.
The interesting thing is that great leadership doesn’t change dramatically depending on the outcome.
When facing setbacks, effective leaders take ownership. They don’t waste energy assigning blame. Instead, they ask, What can we learn? What needs to change? They adapt, recalibrate, and model resilience for those they lead.
Success requires a different discipline. Winning can breed complacency. Great leaders resist that temptation. They continue to evaluate, refine, and improve. They share credit generously and use victories to build trust, strengthen culture, and raise the standard even higher.
Jim Collins captures this mindset in Good to Great through the qualities of a Level 5 Leader. Jim is also one of our GLS26 faculty members.
Level 5 leaders combine fierce professional resolve with deep personal humility. Collins describes this through the “Window and Mirror” principle. When things go well, they look out the window—crediting others and recognising the contributions of their team. When things go poorly, they look in the mirror—taking responsibility and asking what they can do differently. It’s a challenging but powerful model of leadership.
Are you where you hoped you would be by now?
Perhaps you’ve experienced significant wins. Perhaps you’ve faced disappointment or goals that remain out of reach. Whatever your score line currently looks like, the question remains the same:
What does leadership require of you right now?
The scoreboard matters, but it is never the full story. What ultimately shapes our influence is how we lead through both victory and defeat.
John Robertson | CEO | Global Leadership Network Australia & New Zealand
Eight Students. Two Documentaries. One Powerful Story.
As part of the GLNA Next Gen Yarning Circle: Hearing from the Next Generation project, these young people weren’t simply interviewed, they helped shape the entire experience. Working alongside Next Gen specialists, professional filmmakers and Carinity Education Shalom leaders, they guided the conversations, shared their perspective on leadership and ensured their stories were told authentically. The result is two inspiring mini documentaries exploring leadership, community and the strength of cultural knowledge through the eyes of the next generation.
Made possible through a Queensland Government NAIDOC Week Grant, these leadership documentaries will be released to schools across Australia through the Next Gen network from 2027, giving thousands of students the opportunity to hear directly from these remarkable young indigenous leaders. At its heart, this project is about cultural understanding, creating space for Indigenous young people to share their experiences, culture, history and hopes for the future so we can learn from one another and build a brighter future together.
We can’t wait to share these powerful stories with you in 2027.
Next Gen Leadership Pathways can help your school, community or church to empower young people to grow as leaders.
Attending the GLS could be exactly the reset you need…
Take one day to step out of the noise, learn from world-class leaders, reconnect with your purpose, and return with renewed vision for the months ahead.
Don’t just fall over the finish line. Pause. Reset. Finish strong.
