“Distinct… or extinct." 

From the first day of preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, most of the football coaches of 32 teams gave their players the confidence (Article) that they can make a difference…. this of course if they are willing to follow the method of their coaches. It touches on the theories of the widely regarded top management books of all time:  “In Search of Excellence” (1982) Written by authors Thomas J. Peters and Robert H., Jr. Waterman, of which I read a long time ago. The authors distinguish four elements for success in business: a strong team spirit, a perfect execution of the core, a fixed plan and clarity and credibility. Looking at the current winner of the 2014 cup: "Die Mannschaft”, the German Football Association (DFB) starting working on a meticulously-planned long-term project after failing to get past the group stage at UEFA Euro 2000 and 2004. It was the creation of a national plan with Juergen Klinsmann and Joachim Loew (2006) to invest in youth centres together with Bundesliga teams. This overall long term plan lead in using the latest technology with EXOS, and the Adidas miCoach Elite Team System (VIDEO), eventually resulting in the semi-finals in the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, which they lost in Germany itself against Italy, the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ lost semi-final against Spain, the UEFA Euro 2008 lost final against Spain and the UEFA Euro 2012 semi-final lost against Italy, discovering the talented 22-year-old Mario Goetze, who scored the extra-time winner against Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ Final, building their own €32 million (DFB+German investors) private base camp (article) in Bahia, Brazil, and the historic 7-1 defeat of Brazil: “That game really showed the German team’s remarkable ability to anticipate where the Brazilian players were heading and to redirect the ball around them.The Germans rarely had a direct path to the goal. — And the skill of pivoting like this applies in business, too — and not only for a quick shot on goal. Companies need to to be agile to adapt to changing circumstances and to combat new opponents. Similarly, successful individuals transition from one role to another using pivots that leverage their past and open up moves in new directions." (Trish Gorman – Forbes) The book ’In Search of Excellence’ is still relevant till today and I highly recommend it – ONE-TO-READ! Also recommend: in "Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies”, authors Jim Collins (Article) and Jerry Porras. This book describe the dual business mantras of “preserve the core” and “stimulate progress,” which they illustrate with a black-and-white yin yang symbol: “You can’t have one without the other.” ONE-TO-READ!