In Episode 7, Jordan Gardner, Chairman of the Board and Co-Owner of FC Helsingor and finalist for the Best Executive at the World Football Summit Industry Awards, talks with Phil about cross-cultural leadership, a posture of learning, recruiting and player development, what makes a great manager, and other aspects of successfully owning and running a football club in Europe. Specifically, he discusses:
- His story and his journey from playing soccer in California to owning multiple European soccer (i.e., football) clubs (1:04)
- What he learned from the game of soccer that he uses in his business/entrepreneurial ventures (3:18)
- Why it is so important in the world of football (and business) for clubs and organizations to have a healthy board and healthy relationships really between the boards, executives, owners, and managers (5:20)
- The challenges of working with others from different cultures, and how to earn the respect of others in cross-cultural work (8:15)
- How leaders need to surround themselves with people smarter and better than them (10:17)
- The critical importance of a humble, learning posture in leadership (12:14)
- How he measures success in his club and the keys to reaching that success (15:55)
- How to acquire and retain the right people in a business that is extremely transient (19:58)
- The need for more sophistication in player development and recruiting (22:36)
- Making business decisions in the context of a football club (27:04)
- The Chairman/Manager relationship when making difficult decisions (29:50)
- The critical importance of managers being strong and healthy leaders who lead well beyond the game (32:37)
- The important role of networking and connections in football and business (38:47)
- The impact of no fans and empty stadiums on the players and clubs (43:05)
Resources and Links from this Episode
Uncut video available on the How Soccer Explains Leadership YouTube channel - https://youtu.be/YdZ6UB47z9o
FC Helsingor Website -- https://fchelsingor.dk/en/
