Power U 73: Power and Accountability in the World Cup Final

#PowerU 73 - I’m posting a little early this week to finish up an unexpected power literacy micro-series on “everything you need to know about power you can learn from watching the World Cup”. Ok - so this week for those that didn’t watch it, Spain held Argentina to zero shots in 90 minutes at the World Cup final. What that defensive discipline did by neutralizing Argentina’s expert power completely was strip away everything else and show us what was underneath. What was underneath was a team that has been allowed to play a very physical, very aggressive brand of football for a very long time without being held accountable for it. After the final whistle: a throat grab, a coaching staff member throwing a punch at a player, players refusing to attend the trophy presentation. Some commentators called Messi shaking hands with Spanish players “class.” It’s the minimum standard expected of every player in every sport. The fact that we’re celebrating it is a measure of how much Argentina has gotten away with and how long it’s been happening. Argentina didn’t develop this culture of impunity in a vacuum. And it’s a multi-faceted example of what happens when power and accountability for that power are out of balance. #PowerU #PowerLiteracy #Leadership #SystemsChange #WorldCup