The Leadership Coach's Blog
This leadership coach's blog, looks at Arsene Wengers negative reaction to a last-minute defeat at Fulham.
Leadership : Arsene Wenger - Blame!
It's post-match interview time at Craven Cottage. And Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is seething. His team have lost out to a late Bobby Zamora goal. And the Frenchman knows who is to blame.
Referee Lee Probert has sent off defender Johan Djorou, and failed to award the Gunners a penalty. Wenger calls the ref 'naive', and feels he influenced the game in completely the wrong way.
Wenger doesn't mention the poor defending that led to Djorou's sending-off, or Fulham's winner. Better to apportion blame elsewhere, than face the truth.
Wenger has been an outstanding manager and leader, during his reign at Arsenal. But he has blind spots. And perhaps these blind spots limit his effectiveness.
Blame is one of them. Blame says that the defeat is someone else's fault. Not his own. Or his players. It diverts attention away from the truth. Because sometimes the truth can be hard to face. It suggests weakness and imperfection.
A great leader will not be afraid of admitting weakness. For admission is the first step to breakthrough. Saying ''The referee is not to blame. My players weren't good enough to convert chances'. Or 'Djorou's positional play was poor'.
That's the truth. Blame creates a fog. It negates critical analysis, which unto itself can correct weakness. Blame is an emotional reaction, that comes out from being unable to handle the pain of defeat.
Despite his excellence, many will feel that Arsene Wenger has under-achieved in his time at Arsenal. And perhaps his under-achievement is born out of undeveloped qualities in himself. It's maybe too late for the Frenchman to change. He has become trapped inside his own psychologies.
If he had a strong assistant it may help. Someone who could say, 'Arsene, your wrong. The ref wasn't to blame. We were'. Someone to challenge him, without fear.
Without that, Arsene Wenger has to become tired of his own limited excuses, before real change can happen. And on the basis of yesterday's post-match interview, that won't be happening anytime soon.
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