What can the World Cup teach us about mental strength? Imagine you’re tired, thirsty, physically exhausted, and surrounded by chaos. How do the vast majority of people in the world respond to such circumstances? They break mentally. While this does not always take the form of absolute panic, although sometimes it can, it most often means that the solidarity and efficacy of a team begins to decay.

I watched every minute of the Brazil vs. Germany game and nearly every minute of the Netherlands vs. Argentina game. The former was one of the most striking lessons in mental defeat that I’ve seen in a long time. Throughout my personal and professional lives I’ve learned the value of mental strength and it is immensely more important than physical strength. In much of the leadership coaching I do one of the most prominent themes I witness is the speed which an individual or team loses their mental edge. This can be experienced in any one of a number of different ways. Did you see the Brazilian national team during the first half of play against Germany? They started off incredibly aggressive. They attacked Germany incessantly. Germany countered at the 11^th minute and scored…1-0.

From that point to the 29^th minute Germany scored an additional 4 goals. How did they do it? Germany is certainly a remarkably talented team and they deserve an immense amount of credit but anyone who was really watching that game could see the physical prowess of Brazil’s legendary national soccer team immensely overshadowed the mental strength they showed on the field. They lost nearly ever contested ball, they made mistakes consistent with amateur play, and they started yelling at each other. In short, they were broken. Their minds were beatable and it showed. Whether this weakness was due to the lack of a few key players or for another reason does not matter. The half was the only thing that saved them and allowed them to regroup. Often life does not allow you a “half time” to mentally regroup when you are down. It will attack you incessantly and force you to either perform or break completely. Former US Navy SEAL Commander Mark Devine, the founder of SEALFIT, has an excellent concept he calls “The Unbeatable Mind”. It is a first-rate example of what we are discussing here. Brazil could have ensured that at least 3 of those goals didn’t occur. 2-0 is not an impossible score to come back from and they had the talent to do so, regardless of which players were present.

I believe that physical exhaustion can be an excellent way to build mental strength and can also reveal a great deal about a person’s character. This concept of getting someone down to their raw elements is practiced consistently among some of this nation’s most grueling and elite military schools. If you have been through one of these schools you’ve heard such terms as “going internal” or “breaking”. It’s all the same thing in the end. How you act as a leader and as a team when you’ve had a good night’s sleep, a hot meal, and a good cup of coffee means very little when attempting to determine how mentally strong you are. Show me the man or woman who can still put their team’s welfare above their own after they haven’t slept in 36 hours. Show me the person who can keep their calm and focus about them when all others are losing theirs due to deadlines, resource shortfalls, or any other poor excuse. That person is a leader. That person is who I want on my team. That person will accomplish great things not because of an overwhelming display of physical strength or technical aptitude but a quiet and steady mental determination to never break; never quit.

While exhausting someone physically is not required, nor is it appropriate in many settings, the same concept applies to growth in general. One will not grow without challenge. One does not grow in a vacuum without experiences and trials to get them out of their comfort zones. The acceptance and outright enjoyment of challenge is unfortunately lacking in many parts of our society. We have grown accustomed to the idea of ease and comfort. We shun the notion of hardship. Many are scared of failure.

I say embrace it. Seek out the difficult tasks. Stay up late and get up early. Push yourself to determine who you really are. Every time you feel tired, every time your muscles ache and your lungs scream for air and you don’t quit know that you are growing mentally stronger. Keep your calm and learn to fight and strive at that place; the place where all others are breaking. Learn to love that place and thrive within it. Do that…and you will be unbreakable in mind, body, and spirit.