We rowed together

Norway lost a dramatic quarter-final against England. Still, the team created something that may last far longer than the tournament itself.

What started as a supporter chant literally became a movement.

Throughout the World Cup, Norwegians have rowed in stands, on big screens, in town squares and at bars. The rowing has also attracted international attention.

It has been incredibly fun to take part.

I watched four Norway matches on big screens around Oslo. The atmosphere and sense of togetherness have been fantastic. People who did not know each other sat side by side and moved in the same direction. People bought drinks for one another. Suddenly we were all friends, and then it felt natural to give.

That is a strong picture of what good teams achieve.

Norway has great individual players. Haaland, Ødegaard, Nyland and Schjelderup have all delivered important contributions. The results still came because the team worked within a clear direction, with roles that complemented each other.

Here Solbakken deserves clear recognition as a leader. He has stood in criticism, held to the direction and built a team where strong profiles fit into a larger whole. That requires courage, clarity and trust in your own leadership team.

Portugal shows the risk of building the team around one star. Ronaldo has delivered at a level few can match, but his status can make the team less flexible. When teammates look to the star and the coach gets less room to act, the leadership team must put the whole first.

The same applies in organisations.

Good leaders develop strong individuals, but at the same time build systems, culture and leadership teams that make the organisation less dependent on one person. More people must be able to take responsibility when the situation requires it.

The match against England also showed how important trust in the systems is. VAR decisions, the disallowed goal and the camera operator created strong reactions. FIFA has a troubled corruption history, and then suspicion that the biggest and most commercial teams are favoured quickly takes hold.

There is no documentation that the match was manipulated. Still, decisions must be transparent and understandable if the system is to retain legitimacy.

On Monday I sat at Gardermoen with my family waiting for our own holiday departure. When NCR720 landed with the national team, Flightradar24 showed «Ro Ro Ro Ro Airlines». More than 100,000 followed the flight. We watched the touchdown live.

I saw the excitement in my children's eyes. Maybe they could catch a glimpse of the World Cup players. Suddenly football was not only about playing yourself, but also about following the team, sharing the experiences and feeling part of something bigger.

Norway came home to a nation that stood behind them.

Being a good loser is not about downplaying defeat or spending energy on external explanations. It is about taking responsibility, learning from what happened and using the experience to come back stronger.

Now the leadership task is to make this more than a summer memory.

The togetherness, culture and belief must be carried forward. 💯

We must keep rowing together. 🚣

#Ledelse #Teamutvikling #Kultur #Prestasjon #FotballVM