The Organization That Fell Asleep
3 Min Read
The Organization That Fell Asleep
A Wake-Up Call for Sports Leaders
You’ve probably heard the story about the new CEO and the three envelopes.
A leadership classic but one that feels uncomfortably relevant to sport today.
On his first day, the CEO walks into his office and finds three envelopes on the desk… each sealed and numbered.
A note from his predecessor reads:
“When you face a crisis, open them in order, One per crisis.”
Months later, the first storm hits bad results, pressure from the board, restless fans.
He opens Envelope #1:
“Blame the previous management.”
It works, for a while, He reshapes departments, hires new staff, promises a new era.
Then comes the second crisis sponsorships slowing, momentum fading.
He opens Envelope #2:
“Blame the market, The economy, The environment,” That too buys him time.
Until the third storm arrives.
He opens Envelope #3: “Prepare three new envelopes…”
The Sports Version
In sport, that story isn’t fiction, Every Leader knows those envelopes not on the desk, but in spirit.
We blame the previous season, The transfer market, The fixtures, The injuries, The media.
But the truth is simpler and harder: Performance fades long before results do.
By the time the table shows it, the culture already knows.
Because decline doesn’t arrive as a crisis, It arrives quietly through comfort.
The Saturday Morning Drift:
It rarely begins with noise.
No scandal. No failure.
Just a slow drift.
A strong club, Talented people, Loyal fans. Everything looks fine until one morning, it isn’t.
Meetings filled with reports, not decisions, teams that manage, not move. Campaigns that make noise, but not progress.
That’s how organizations fall asleep eyes open, heart closed.
And in sport, if you’re not advancing, you’re already behind.
Not a Family A Team Built to Win:
Let’s say it clearly: your organization isn’t a family.
Families love unconditionally. Teams don’t.
Teams win because they care and hold each other accountable.
That tension is what creates greatness.
As one CEO told me: “I love our people. But I can’t love our current pace.”
Care matters, but care without pressure kills ambition.
The Discipline of Focus
The hardest skill in leadership today isn’t vision it’s discernment.
Every club is flooded with good ideas: building global fan communities, rethinking matchday experiences, strengthening academy pathways, deepening fan data.
All valuable, few essential.
If everything is a priority, nothing truly moves, Ask yourself:
- What are the three plays that will truly shift performance or connection this month?
- What am I consciously ignoring?
Focus isn’t saying yes, It’s saying no again and again.
Ownership and Speed
Sports organizations rarely fail because of weak talent.
They fail because ownership gets diluted.
Every project should have one clear owner someone who says: “This will happen because of me.”
Ownership builds speed. Speed isn’t chaos it’s clarity in motion, when everyone knows their role, progress becomes instinctive.
The Entrepreneurial Era of Sport
Sport is rewriting itself. AI, data, and global fan economies are changing what it means to lead.
Operational excellence is no longer a differentiator. It’s the baseline.
The next generation of winning organizations will be led by executives who think like founders again
curious, restless, relentless.
Ask yourself: Are we maintaining, or are we creating?
Because those who innovate, win. Those who wait, watch.
The Wake-Up
And so we return to that Saturday morning. Same people. Same crest. Same potential.
But someone finally gets up.
The difference between a thriving club and a fading one
isn’t budget, market, or luck, it’s the courage to wake up before the world does it for you.
Ask yourself:
- Are you awake?
- Is your team awake?
- Do you still feel the urgency that built your first win, your first deal, your first fan?
No one’s coming.
It’s you, your team, and the next decision you make.
With the Love for Sports and Innovation,
AR
CEO, HYPE Sports Innovation
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