What Messi Understood About Leadership That Ronaldo Didn’t
What Messi Understood About Leadership That Ronaldo Didn’t Long before this year’s World Cup, the opening chapter of Surrender To Lead explored Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s different approaches to leadership. One tried to control the outcome. The other trusted the team. The difference isn't just visible in how they played. It's visible in what they achieved. This week’s newsletter is adapted from the opening chapter of Surrender to Lead, and appropriate to post today as Messi takes the field once again. Enjoy! Want to read the full article? Click Here!
Subscribe to This Week in Culture on LinkedIn
Get weekly Insights From Dr. Jessica!
Substack
Students of Transformation
Exploring how and why people change–in leadership, spiritually, loss, recovery, identity, and everyday life
Past Issues
4 Leadership Lessons to Get You Through Q1
4 Leadership Lessons to Get You Through Q1 Q1 has a way of testing leadership fast. Pressure shows up early, deadlines tighten, and decisions stack...
Choosing to be a World Champion at Life
Choosing to be a World Champion at Life Yesterday we hosted the first Surrender to Lead Summit. The conversation moved fast from aspiration to...
The Conversations Leaders Are Ready to Have
The Conversations Leaders Are Ready to Have Six days. That is how far we are from the Surrender to Lead Summit, and I keep coming back to where this...
My New Year’s Resolution Is to Answer a Bigger Call
My New Year’s Resolution Is to Answer a Bigger Call Last year, my New Year’s resolution was to raise the stakes. This year, something different is...
2026 Is the Year of Playing Offense
2026 Is the Year of Playing Offense Playing offense in 2026 requires a shift in how leaders think about momentum. It shows up in the belief systems...
Drive Results – With or Without Committees
Drive Results - With or Without Committees My newsletter on culture committees stirred up more reaction than anything I have written in months. Not...
My 2026 Predictions: Part Two
My 2026 Predictions: Part Two Two weeks ago I shared the first half of my 2026 predictions and today I am releasing the remaining five. These...
SHRM Is Forcing a Reckoning in HR
SHRM Is Forcing a Reckoning in HR The Business Insider “hit piece” last week reveals a lot… about the state of HR. What I saw was how uncomfortable...
Predictions For 2026
Predictions For 2026 2026 will not arrive quietly. The signals are already flashing and this year they begin to collide. What we predicted in 2025...
The Leadership Cost of ‘Needing to Know’
The Leadership Cost of ‘Needing to Know’ Last week we explored how uncertainty shifts leadership behavior. There is another response that often...

