The World Cup 2014 semi final encounter between Netherlands and Argentina is a day away, and this is an appropriate time to reflect on Netherlands coach Van Gaal's tryst with fame. I am aware not to confuse fame with success (googled to get Erma Bombecks quotation -success is Mother Theresa fame is Madonna), - my interest is to fathom how Van Gall took all those early criticisms and got to where he is today. Three years ago Van Gaal was a "nutcase" to most of the Dutch. Truth to tell, he does look odd, short and stocky in ill fitting suits ,far from the accepted image of a coach.
...and now this nutcase is a genius and a saviour. In a few hours the adjectives may become more positive or decline steeply depending on the outcome of the match.
I wish I could get to speak to this person and learn how he responded to the early barbs ( if at all he did respond) , how did he build acceptability with the team in the context of such a poor reputation and how did he persist with a new pattern of play that is now credited for the success in the tournament.
At another level, how relevant is the Coach in the success of a team? Could not a stroke of luck explain a freak performance? Just last night the mighty Brazilians were humbled to a 7-1 drubbing by the Germans.How much of the credit should go to the Coach Lowe, and how much of the blame should Brazils' coach Scolari take? Could it not have been just "one of those days" that happens to anyone , anytime?
The Coach and Mentor of the business world lives in relative obscurity , far from the public eye, with no deadlines to meet . Therein lies the problem. As long as the business coach does not have to respond, nor have any acceptability issues ( the grey hairs and the past designations suffice) and does not persist with his ideas to impact the business, he is just a retiree on a pension.
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