How to keep the ball rolling after a miracle business win

Have you recently pulled off a business win against all odds? How do you make sure that the win is the start of bigger things to come – rather than the start of a decline?

Recently the manager of English Premier League side Leicester City, Claudio Ranieri, was sacked just months after leading the side to an improbable victory.

The club famously came out on top in the cut-throat football league last season, beating 5000-1 odds to do so.

It was the feel-good story of 2016, the team of scrappers beating the multi-billion dollar entities around the country.

But fast forward to today: Leicester is dangerously close to being relegated from the league entirely (despite a recent win against Liverpool) and Ranieri has been moved on.

We’re not privy to the goings-on at Leicester, and undoubtedly there’s more to come out in the wash, but we reckon there are a few learnings here.

What can businesses do to make sure they take the momentum from a massive win and make sure it doesn’t turn into a massive loss?

Change it up

While the Leicester City players and manager were undoubtedly popping open some bubbly in the off-season, undoubtedly the other teams were studying the tape.

They would have been poring over each game Leicester played to figure out just how it managed to pull off Mission Impossible.

So when sides came to play Leicester this season, they had a plan. They weren’t caught off-guard again.

In business, your competition will be figuring out how you pulled off a massive business win. If you try the same thing again you may find that lightning won’t strike twice.

It’s tempting to do the same thing again and hope for a similar result, but the world doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

If you don’t figure out how to disrupt your own business, your competitors will. The choice is yours.

Re-invest in the business

Along with the glory, Leicester City got a heck of a lot of prize money and commercial sponsorships on the back of their win.

While the club famously recruited overlooked gems to build their title-winning squad, one can’t help but wonder if the club could have brought in bigger names this season.

It needed to tie up their key talent for another season, but could Leicester have ploughed a few more pounds into the squad instead of squirrelling away the gains?

Losing N’Golo Kante to Chelsea didn’t help, either.

Reinvestment into your business is crucial if you want to keep the momentum going after a big win.

Your industry may not move as fast as the English Premier League, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Reinforce the messages of teamwork and hard yakka

In their title-winning season, the Leicester City players worked like dogs (or foxes, more accurately) to get to the top.

They forged an unbelievable team spirit which got them through a lot of tough spots. In fact, the number of 1-0 wins the side pulled off was remarkable.

Winning 1-0 consistently shows that you’re a side that can hold the line defensively and then nick the odd goal on the break. It requires teamwork, hard work, and more than a little help from the woodwork at times.

As a manager, it’s up to you to make sure your team is aware of the hard work that got you into the winning position – and the work needed to keep you there.