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How to build a successful Team like Jurgen Klopp.

By Editor•Published on February 2, 2024•Updated on May 23, 2025
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Navigator's Field Notes

Team starts with the leader

A strong team doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built by a leader with a clear mission, a system to follow, and a genuine commitment to each person’s growth.

If your team reflects your leadership, what’s one change you could make in yourself to raise the standard?

Clarity of mission builds unity

When a leader can clearly communicate a shared mission, people align around it and step into full responsibility for its success.

Could every person on your team state the mission in one line? Could you?

You can’t shortcut trust

No amount of off-sites or team-building gimmicks will fix a foundation of poor trust. It has to be earned through real systems, communication, and care.

What’s one simple, consistent behaviour you can model this week to build trust with your team?

Sustainable teams don’t rely on charisma

The best teams don’t orbit around a heroic figure—they’re built on systems and culture that outlast any one person.

If you stepped away tomorrow, what would stay standing? What would collapse?

Togetherness is a system, not a vibe

Family-like teams are forged through structure: clarity, trust, candour, shared goals—not random bursts of morale-boosting fun.

Instead of asking how your team feels, ask: what system are they working inside?

Read full article: How to build a successful Team like Jurgen Klopp.

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Team, team-work, team-building words so common in business that they have become office buzz words that set the eyes rolling. Oh no, the boss has got a bunch of energy somewhere and now we’re all off to a Forrest park to climb ropes and get plastered after. That, or some variant has become the norm over the last couple of decades but really all it’s doing is putting everyone in an uncomfortable position. It forces everyone together with people they don’t like that much, resulting in a drain on their energy a reaffirmation that ‘this job sucks’ leading to further strangling of their spirit, motivation, energy, loss of productivity and eventually the end of the company. End of the company you say? That’s a bit much ‘we’re too bug to fail’. Sure…

A great place to study Teams is team sports, unsurprisingly. With Jurgen Klopp’s announcement of his departure from Liverpool there’s is a fantastic opportunity for exposure to and absorption of what it means to be a team. All you have to do is listen to this team talk about him. The most common analogy used by his players is that of a father figure. Wow, these are not superfluous sound bites from a TV talent show, these are the real deal. Think about your position at the moment. In your company, if you’re the boss, do your employees see you as a father figure? and if you’re the employee is your boss like a father to you?
(Hopefully it goes without saying that I’m talking about the idealistic idea of a father figure who is the kind of person who is a colossus of understanding, love and support and not the kind that gets drunk and forgets his kids birthday.)

If your answer to the last question is ‘yes’ then please introduce me, this is a person I’d like to meet and learn from. However I’m going to be sceptical and guess that most will answer no.
Why is this important? Well the team starts with the leader. That may sound like a trivial fact but it’s fundamental, all the motivational, team building BS that you go through is a total waste of everyone’s time, money and energy unless the fundamentals are in place. After you have the fundamentals in place these activities are great and important.

So here’s a manifesto for a winning team.

  • Team starts with the leader.
  • Team is about the leader having a clear mission and being able to communicate it to the team.
  • The team must buy into this mission.
  • The leader must show the team the path that allows everyone to grow.
  • The leader must create a clear system for the team to operate, communicate and collaborate in.
  • Each team member is 100% responsible for the success of the mission.
  • Each member must trust the other.
  • Each member must make contribution to the team their number 1 priority.
  • Every member must grow the skills required to fulfil their roll.
  • Every member must respect the other.
  • Every member must learn to be candid and open, no secrets, no back chat.
  • The team must all be on the same wavelength.
  • The team must grow a togetherness like that of a family.
  • The team must celebrate wins together.

If you are in this space then as a leader you must start with yourself. Study some great leaders and see their traits, it’s not all about charging over the top of the trenches. To finish with a word about Jurgen Klopp a key aspect to the team he has built is that it is sustainable, its just not about him, there’s clearly a system in place. I recommend watching this short video from the man himself to get a small insight to the type of character builds a winning team. (Even if you’re a Man Utd fan)

https://youtu.be/ueSrZHzLK6U

About the Author.
After 20+ years of business and a fascination and obsession with the topic I stopped, sold my company and exited. I’ve spent the last year compiling everything I learned on that Journey into a collection I call ‘Navigator’. I’m currently writing a book of the same name, the book is designed to be a companion for those on a mission. It’s the book I wished I has about 10 years ago. In terms of providing a service I am available to help you if you are on a mission.

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