Chris Foster is VP, New Business Development at Modern Postcard. He also teaches at UCSD Extension.
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As a leader, I’m always looking for real-life examples of how businesses develop and grow and the magic combination that leads to success. But I certainly didn’t expect an example to arrive at such an accidental moment when I watched an English Premier League football (EPL) match and found myself falling in love with the Brentford Bees.
The EPL is one of the most prestigious sports leagues in the world, with 20 clubs in rotation. You might have heard of Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City, but my hunch is no one reading this has ever heard of the Brentford Bees.
I hadn’t either…until I watched them score a goal against Arsenal on the opening week, and the announcer exclaimed, over a deafening roar from the stands, that it was “their first top-flight goal in 74 years!” See the moment at 4:13 here.
A Fan Is Born
I was hooked. I think anyone leading a business or a team can learn how to give purpose, inspire colleagues and learn about performance from the Brentford Bees. Against all the odds, this team is able to compete against teams loaded with money and talent—and they’re winning.
I was curious as to how they did it and what I could learn from their approach in our own business. It turns out the Brentford Bees drafted their own version of the same blueprint that every successful brand and business follows: Culture, plan, people and belief.
I’ll get back to those ideas, but first, let’s cover the English Premier League (EPL) for those folks not in the know.
The High Stakes Of The EPL
It turns out that the EPL is a very classist structure. At the top is the Premiere League; below that is Championship; then League One; then the scullery cellars of League Two. All the teams in each league are ranked. Those at the bottom are relegated down to the league below, while the three top teams of the lower leagues get promoted up.
The stakes are huge for a team to either stay or get relegated. Teams that stay get millions of dollars from the league. This means the teams below have an even harder time moving up to the top of the rankings. With less money and opportunities to buy the top talent, the lower league teams seem year after year to be hopelessly outmatched.
Yet the Brentford Bees have, over the last several years, managed to persistently rise up through the ranks. And finally, for the first time since 1947, they’re competing at the highest level. The odds and money stacked against them have only made their rise to success even more remarkable.
So how did they do it? These Brentford Bees are doing what the best niche brands do to compete with Lululemon, Nike and other big brands with more money and talent. They focus on culture, plan, people and belief.
Culture, Plan, People and Belief: A Strategy In Action
What Brentford has focused on over the last several years is a culture that understands itself and has the patience to be a work in progress. It’s a culture that Thomas Frank, the coach, constantly reiterates as their four pillars: attitude, hard work, togetherness and belief.
In every interview, Frank will reiterate: “We are confident yet humble.” And when any of the players are interviewed after a match, guess what they say? “Well, we’re staying confident yet humble.”
Every player says the same thing. They have embraced the culture.
Their plan has been to recruit players in a "Moneyball" fashion by creating a culture that works together. When this season began, not a single player had ever played in the EPL, so it was a new experience for all of them. Their plan focused on the principle that it was not going to be a single superstar player responsible for carrying the team, but that they, together, would carry themselves. The plan was to be aggressive on the pitch, determined in defense, maintain best-in-the-league fitness and continue to trust each other. They stuck to the plan, win or lose each match.
When they looked for people to recruit, they brought in players who made everyone else better. It’s a mentality of lifting everyone’s performance all at once rather than trying to set up a single player for stardom. One great example of the team’s dedication to selflessness is seen in player Christian Eriksen, who—after recovering from a near-fatal cardiac arrest last year—has shown to lift everyone up with his selfless play. Each individual is more concerned about the other players and the entire team as a whole than their own accolades.
And finally, they believe that they can win every match and that they belong in the rarified air of the EPL. Belief is one of the most powerful human emotions and motivations. Because the Bees trust in the plan, the culture and themselves, it makes it easier to manifest this belief in their performances.
What I love about these Bees is that they’ve been successful because of what they’ve built, not because of their money or collection of star players. Over time, through their culture, plan, people and belief, they’ve poured a foundation to build habits and years of quality performance.
From The Football Pitch To The Office
As a business development leader, I’m always trying to find and learn from examples where togetherness and purpose help organizations prevail. These factors always seem more deterministic of success than pricing, product or market conditions.
So: What are the pillars that define your company culture? Do your people have a team-first mentality? Are they aligned to a plan? Do they believe?
The humble and confident Bees are a team that has relentlessly pushed themselves to succeed on the most competitive playing field in the world. At the time of publication, the Bees finished a strong season and will return to the EPL next year.
Just imagine what your team could do by embracing their path to success.
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