At the Work Culture Festival, held within ORGATEC 2024 at the Kölnmesse, renowned soccer coach Ralf Rangnick shared his philosophy on leadership and team dynamics in a discussion with Thorsten Giersch, Editor-in-Chief of the German Entrepreneurs Platform (DUP).

Rangnick, whose passion for soccer and leadership began at the age of six, reflected on the importance of taking responsibility and motivating others. For Rangnick, a coach is foremost a “development facilitator.” His approach to leadership is:

“The greatest motivator for people is not money but having someone who helps you improve.”

This philosophy reflects his views on personnel management: bringing top talents onto the team is only the first step. Equally important is allowing them the freedom to reach their full potential.

“Good bosses let good people do their job; otherwise, they’ll leave,” he emphasized. Ralf Rangnick firmly believes that performance development is something you can plan, a recipe for success he applies both, in soccer and the business world.

Concept, Competence, Capital: Ralf Rangnick’s Success Formula for a Winning Mentality

One of Rangnick’s most inspiring statements was that success is not only built on a concept and the necessary competence; it also requires capital to realize long-term projects. “To be successful, you need: concept, competence, capital.” This approach, to him, links leadership and sustainability, with both outcome and experience playing crucial roles. He sees enthusiasm and the ability to inspire it in others as essential qualities of successful leaders:

“You can only inspire if you’re truly inspired yourself.”

Rangnick’s holistic approach to leadership, marked by clear structure and consistent decisions, conveys that the key to success lies in the ability to inspire and develop the potential in others – a principle that is invaluable not only on the soccer field but also in today’s business world.

Thorsten Giersch and Ralf Rangnick delivered an engaging and entertaining talk at ORGATEC. Rangnick’s personal anecdotes and glimpses into his everyday life added warmth to the discussion, creating an atmosphere of empathy and showing the human side of this meticulous strategist, someone with both humor and enthusiasm.

Rangnick closed with a call to remember that success is not only made up of hard facts and strategies but also passion and the ability to inspire – both, on and off the field.

Ralf Rangnick is available for moderated discussions, interviews, and panel talks. For further information, please contact us: +49 (0)30 640 777 42 or contact@leading-minds.com