We will be learning in depth about the leadership of one of the world’s top sports organizations: FC Barcelona (Barca). Our expert guide is Professor Jordi Diaz Gibson, a top level scholar and former elite, national-level athlete in Barcelona. In this first episode, Professor Diaz Gibson discusses his own background, the role of Barca in local lives, the Barca book by Simon Kuper, and some of the lessons we can think about in the months ahead.
- What Barca meant to Jordi and others as he grew up near the stadium.
- The cultural importance of Barca.
- The influence of Johan Cruyff on Barca and the game of soccer. "Total futbol."
- Cruyff’s emphasis on talent and skill over size.
- Idea transfer within and beyond organizations.
- Lionel Messi.
- La Masia, the developmental program for Barca.
- Barca's unique leadership structure.
- Barca as an "innovation lab."
Sport and the Growing Good