Leadership Lessons from Jürgen Klopp

Hi Coach,

Before you dive in, two quick notes:

In today’s issue…

Jürgen Klopp is one of the most successful managers in European soccer over the last two decades.

I came across an in-depth interview with him this week that has too many golden nuggets in it not to share.

Here are a few of Klopp’s highlights:

He’s known as a charismatic leader and speaks openly about his faith and the importance of his relationships with his players.

In the interview, Klopp spoke on a range of topics. I’ve consolidated the takeaways and quotes that I thought coaches would find most valuable.

There are a few core expectations (Ex: be on time, everyone must defend) that should apply to everyone equally.

Most other situations should be handled on an individual basis with what the player needs kept in mind first and foremost.

A player’s background and experiences should impact how we treat and lead them.

Klopp shares the example of having a player on his team from Germany and another from Senegal. They would have had vastly different childhood experiences and grew up in very different cultures, therefore, they should not be treated the same all the time.

He also notes that a young player’s needs are vastly different than a veteran, and they should not be treated the same. The young player likely needs education and support.

To lead players well, we must understand them. We need to talk to them, listen to them, and understand their background and desires.

When players are struggling (Ex: not training well), don’t make assumptions, just ask them what is going on.

“I treated them 50% of the time completely the same, and 50% of the time, what he needs, what he needs, what he needs, but in front of the other teammates.”

“It’s not about the rules… How can we get the best out of people if we treat them all the same?”

“We all are the result of a lot of things that happened to us. As long as we are together, let’s make sure that we influence each other as positively as somehow possible and let’s see where it leads us to.”

“In a group, everybody accepts that they are different. To bring them to life, or to let them shine, you have to be treated in the right way. And that’s what I loved to figure out... The most important conversations were the private conversation.”

“The job of a leader is to make the target, the aim, the final destination that clear, like the sun, that everybody’s automatically going there and you don’t have to push them there. On the way there, you support them in different way. It’s not so important what I want to say… it’s much more important what they need to hear to deal with their situation.”

“Everybody has to defend the shit out of the opposition. If you’re not Lionel Messi, you have to defend.”

He wouldn’t let himself or his team spend time ruminating on losses, even if they came in cup finals.

Klopp shared that after a Champions League final, he had his team come down to the ballroom for the party that was planned for if they had won.

They spent time connecting and celebrating the incredible season they had shared together despite the disappointing final result.

Klopp views losses as opportunities to learn and improve.

“Qualifying for a final is a real achievement. Losing it is not great, but until then everything was fine, and I never accepted that we ignore the rest.”

“If you don’t learn from a defeat, it’s a real defeat. If you learn from it, it’s very, very important information.”

The job of a coach is to create the best team you can.

We can only create the best team possible if they are connected and committed to the mission.

The coach must create the environment where the team knows each other, trusts each other, and would do anything for each other.

Klopp also shares on the importance of ensuring that every person in the organization, from the groundskeeper to the kitchen worker, feels known and appreciated.

It was important to him that everyone knew each other’s names.

He draws the connection between showing appreciation for the people who contribute to the club’s success and his players’ ability to appreciate their teammates for how they help them succeed.

Klopp also noted that they were intentional about insulating themselves from outside noise (i.e. media, fans, etc.).

They made sure that the team understood that the only important information after a game, good or bad, was what came from him.

Lastly, he notes that tactics are just a small piece of what leads to success.

Teams with poor tactics can still achieve great things when they play with and for each other.

“I want to grow together. It was my job to make sure that happened."

“It’s about how close can we really grow together to go out there and smash the whatever out of [the opponent].”

“We have to find a reason why we deserve it more than others.”

“For us, we would go through fire, we would go through absolutely everything [for each other].”

“You have to create a culture, an environment, a situation, a web where everyone realizes this is special and now let’s go for it. This is worth it. this it means more to all of us and we really can fight more for it.”

“If you don’t appreciate what other people are doing, then you can’t appreciate what your teammate is doing. That’s just a little sign.”

“The most important information about a game what was I said, not what was in the media… We created our own world in that time which was more important than the outside world.”

“I don’t want to make it bigger than it is, but my general understanding from a football team is to become the best football team you can be, this is as important as tactics, if the guys don’t respect each other and like each other, nobody will see them ever. If they have the worst tactics but they love each other, they still can win, that’s possible.”

A thought on applying this in your coaching or leadership context…

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It featured 12 episodes with 13 amazing guests.

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Thanks for reading, I hope this serves you on your journey.

To your growth,

Luke Gromer, RYG Athletics | A NIKE Sports Camp Provider

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