By Glenn Whitney

What’s the most efficient way to destroy trust? How about using your close association with the nation’s top athletes to profit from spin-off projects to boost your already hefty annual earnings?

England national football manager Fabio Capello has committed what many sportswriters are calling an “own goal” by lending his name to the “Capello Index,” a performance measurement website. Complete with snazzy graphics and high-level branding support, it is clear that the website has been in the works for quite some time.

A day after the launch, the index’s owner announced a change of plans and now, apparently, the site won’t go live until after the World Cup. But a lot of damage has been done and is likely to last.

See this article for specifics: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/davidbond/2010/05/capellos_rating_takes_a_tumble.html

Does Capello appreciate that his World Cup-bound players are under enough pressure without having their performance rated in real time on a widely available website supported and presumably scrutinised by their most important supervisor?

A £6 million per year salary doesn’t seem to be enough for Capello to put on hold his entrepreneurial aspiriations and focus on creating a climate in which players can unreservedly accept constructive criticism, own up to deficiencies and take responsibility for fixing mistakes.

Those being led tend to respond best to leaders who demonstrate that they are fully present and focused on their charges and acting always in their best interests. In psychotherapy terms it’s called “being fully with and for” your client. The dedication required is sometime (rightly) likened to a parent’s love for his or her child.

You would think Capello has spent enough time around superstar players that many of them – through bitter experience -- are very wary of being manipulated and exploited for someone else’s cynical gain, whether the media, their friends or their business associates.