Those who kept a close eye on Howard Webb, the referee during the World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands, were treated to a master class in the management concept called “servant leadership.”



Imagine the pressure. The highest stress moment of your career under the real-time scrutiny of nearly half the world’s population. You’re meant to keep control over 22 high-testosterone alpha males contesting the most important moment of their lives and with massive fortunes at stake.

The players are adrenaline-fuelled beyond rational thought but also brittle and tired after a long campaign. And yet Webb made correct calls almost every minute of the two-hour match. That’s down to being meticulously prepared for his big moment under the Johannesburg floodlights.

We know, for instance, that the former police sergeant’s physical training was comprehensive and grueling and that he spent hours working with a psychologist to improve his “mental toughness” -- his emotional resilience under pressure.

Servant leadership requires wholesale dialing down of ego. It is about putting the greater goals of the organisation and/or society as a whole ahead of self aggrandisement. Enabling people to do their best. What lessons does Webb teach about servant leadership for those of us in less extreme environments?

1. Achieve crystal clarity on what your ultimate goal is and make all decisions with that goal in mind. Webb’s goal seemed to be “enable a fair contest that balanced the rule of law with the need for the final to be a truly great sporting spectacle.” Whether he achieved his goal is perhaps a matter of debate and depends which side you supported. However even the Dutch coach agreed that the best team won.

2. Stick relentlessly to your strategy but adjust your tactics constantly. At various moments Webb had to flex the rules to avoid sending off a quarter of the Dutch team, but he made it clear to each player what was at stake.

3. When you’re displeased by bad behaviour, make it clear to the perpetrator what is wrong and what the potential consequences are. Webb’s directions were always clear and emphatic without seeming frantic, for example calming Dutch star Wesley Sneijder in the second half.

4. Follow up threats by calmly meeting out punishments; Webb gave out a total of 14 yellow cards (culminating in one red card) and awarded numerous free kicks close to the penalty box.

5. Be physically strong but supple. Webb’s body language was superbly expressive; making direct eye contact with each player as he reprimanded them, exhibiting calm facial expressions, relatively soft eyes (un-dilated pupils), square shoulders, slow but deliberate hand gestures. Despite the bad-tempered nature of the game he never found himself surrounded by a melee of protesting players.

6. Cover lots of ground. You can only do this as a referee if your fitness is of the highest order. As an office manager, this can only happen if you make time in your diary to “walk the floors” and you do so consistently.

7. Ensure your deputies are the best available, get to know them well, and then trust them to do their jobs. Trust comes from being certain that your people have the skills and experience to deliver under pressure. At crucial moments – as was the case when Spain’s Andres Iniesta scored the winner – Webb trusted that his linesman was in the best possible position to rule him onside – a controversial but ultimately correct call.