What Felipão has been reading

04/03/2014 - 09h53

In search of the sixth championship title, Felipão reads a bestseller from Sextant Publishing, James C. Hunter, an American expert in human resources, the apostle of the idea that leadership is established by persuasion and not by the mere exercise of power.

With his latest book in tow, more than 500,000 copies have been sold in Brazil, the Brazilian coach is reading it to find phrases by the author, duly underlined in his copy.

If you think it's unlikely that Felipão goes into a bookstore looking for lessons to refine his leadership, you are 100% correct.

But Felipão explained, "Parreira, the intellectual in our coaching staff, recommended the book 'How to Become a Servant Leader' and I'm enjoying it greatly ".

With Hunter, he learned that "leadership has everything to do with character, since it is doing the right thing."

Or that "leading means conquering people, engaging them in a way that puts your heart, mind, spirit, creativity and excellence to the service of a goal.

It's necessary to urge people to make the utmost effort in the mission, giving everything for the team because you do not manage people, you lead people."

More importantly, according to what Felipão was reading last Saturday, before leaving for Europe with the goal of seeing Brazilian players in action, is that "the first duty of a leader is to make more leaders".

Even not having read Hunter in 2002, the coach did it, giving the captain's armband to Cafu, but also to appoint Roque Júnior as commander of the defense and Rivaldo, the introspective, as his general in the attack, distributing functions of leadership in every part of the field.

He did not stop there. Felipão learned in his latest reading that "men do not change, but can improve", which seems now to definitively condemn star Ronaldinho, as Romario was excluded 12 years ago.

And Felipão asks: "Did you know that not making a choice is, in itself, an option"?

If Kaká did not know, who passes to know, can we imply? Therein is the caller who asks, without a response.

The response obtained, the result of the teachings of specialist leadership, is that, to be legitimate, "it must be based on authority".

Please, do not confuse it with authoritarianism.

Amazing for those who only know Felipão at a distance in his sergeant mode of being, he likes the idea that "leadership requires gentleness and that kindness is given attention, appreciation and encouragement to others".

Everything to culminate in what Felipão has proved to be capable, that is, to make his teams through the staff and for him, the leader.

Because "there are no weak teams, only weak leaders". Taken?