1. Look into the eyes

According to Fabio Capello, the key to effective management is to be able to read a team member’s eyes and tell him exactly what he needs to hear. Whether it’s excitement, worry, or anything else, the expression in the eyes will convey it.

Then, Fabio adjusts his statements appropriately. He will occasionally need to say a lot and other times, hardly anything at all. His most famous quote came the week before AC Milan’s 1994 Champions League final versus Barcelona, when he knew the team was already furious after being written off and treated disrespectfully. He played on the athletes’ sense of pride. He declared, “You cannot lose if you have balls and are real men.” They went on and triumphed 4-0. It demonstrated, as a team-building exercise, how effective particular word choices can be. It also clarified Fabio’s decision not to pursue a career in politics. Fabio once remarked, “They talk a lot and do little.” “I am the complete opposite.”

2. Build on the basics of respect and organisation – then you can show flexibility and imagination

Fabio has a simple football mindset that applies to all aspects of business. He demands that his players show respect for both his staff and one another. This implies that they don’t treat one another disrespectfully by being late or by calling each other goofy nicknames. They share the meal’s beginning and end. They express trust in one another.

The same principles apply on the field: players must put in a lot of effort for one another, push together to regain possession, take proper defensive stances, and collaborate when the ball is in play. He doesn’t, however, believe that humans are machines. Going forward, he wants his players to be creative and expressive, but only in the appropriate parts of the playing field. Comparably, he is adaptable enough to be able to alter the plan with a fresh formulation and resolution if things aren’t working out as planned. If he gets into a fight with someone, he can forgive them and move on fast.

Team-building lessons also have to be followed by the leaders and Fabio Capello has learned not be stubborn or rigid for the sake of it.

3. Believe in your staff, be patient and give them confidence when they are being criticized from outside the group

Throughout England’s unsteady beginning under Capello, he gave his team high plaudits at pivotal moments. Even though he knew they had “a big problem of the mind” in their hearts. In contrast to Switzerland, for instance, he claimed himself to be mostly content. He expressed his happiness when they lost to France nearly without having a chance, citing their excellent ball passing for 30 minutes. Capello practically pushed his players to feel confident about the goals they were attempting to attain, step by step, using the power of positive thinking.

Because they are just human, players might recall instances in which their manager stood by them in the face of harsh criticism. His approach has made it easier for the England players to react to him, which has led to fantastic performances in bigger games like the World Cup qualifying.\

4. Always keep your players on their toes

Capello is harsh if players are sitting on their laurels, just as he is encouraging during difficult times. Thus, David Beckham was dropped by Real Madrid and then added back to England. Following a hat-trick against Croatia, Theo Walcott felt he had “made it” and was let go. Capello’s maxim is to “keep working hard.” Never, ever believe that you have succeeded.

Everyone is always alert because to Fabio. He doesn’t even think he needs to be close to his team captain in any particular way. To be honest, he kept us wondering who would be his captain for the most part of his tenure in England. Occasionally, he keeps the players’ roster a secret until the very last minute. Furthermore, none of the three goalkeeping contenders knew who was top choice until a few days before the World Cup. The goal of all these strategies is to avoid complacency.

5. Don’t become too isolated. Delegate instead – and don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Capello is undoubtedly “the boss,” but he isn’t so naive as to think he can handle everything by himself. He takes the advise of Franco Baldini, his reliable number two, on both football and work-related political and diplomatic affairs. In a similar vein, he will send Baldini, Franco Tancredi, his goalkeeping coach, and Italo Galbiati, his main field coach, to watch games and rely on their observations. There are an enormous number of people in his backroom group. A guy can never do it all by himself.

Like everyone else, Capello also makes sure to keep a positive relationship with the people who are paying his salary. Capello swiftly declared, “Brian is my friend but Lord Triesman is my friend too,” following the forced resignation of his first employer, Brian Barwick, from the FA. Capello made sure he spoke with Sir Dave Richards over the phone right away after Lord Triesman was fired in order to make sure he remained favoured. An intelligent high-flier uses this strategy to stay alive. He never places all of his trust on one source.

6. Have some perspective – a personal life and a hobby

It is challenging to be successful at work if you only focus on business. People will think you’re weird, a workaholic who will eventually burn out. And if you are unable to keep some perspective to get you through difficult times at work, the strain will get to you even more. Therefore, having a long-term partner is beneficial.

Laura Capello and Fabio Capello have been wed for 41 years. These days, they even have grandchildren and sons. Fabio also makes almost daily calls to Evelina, his ageing mother. If you want to succeed when the chips are down, family, or at least loved ones, should still be vital.

And having a pastime helps with switching off occasionally. Many are Fabio Capello’s. He has a passion for travelling, ancient ruins, scuba diving, art, museums, theatre, popular music, and much more. If you don’t know anything else about life, how can you truly get perspective on a work-related issue? Fabio will not only have his professional support system but also his personal network when the pressure of the World Cup truly gets to be on.