Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool FC had a very honest response during an interview post match this week around his opinion on the Coronovirus that made complete sense in the current climate of hearsay and media hysteria.
“Why is my opinion important” was a comeback line as he reiterated that he was just a football coach.
Jurgen is right and many should take heed of his message as it may have been a great opportunity to throw in his subjective opinion on the matter but he is no expert and therefore shouldn’t have his words placed in a media limelight above those of the true, hidden professionals dedicated to researching the actual problem and working tirelessly for a solution.
Many people in todays society feel that their position on the “pedestal of power” gives them the right to manipulate the broader public based solely on their subjective opinion (and often ulterior motive) without being the voice of those deep within the actual world of the problem itself. In fact those on the ground, in the sporting clubs, at the schools, in the poor environments ARE the ones who have the solution…but muted voices, or the solution bares no financial profit or turn of power.
Jurgen is a great football coach, one of the best the world has seen and he is rightfully the guy to go to for questions around football, motivation, people management etc but his comments hit a chord with me as we both “wear a baseball cap and have a bad shave” and my excellence isn’t in many areas but I am an expert in reliable human performance assessment and the outcomes of wellbeing practices. My voice is muted as I don’t seek that “pedestal of power” for any gain other than a global balance of unity and wellness.
Time for a change…I am now using my voice to highlight the grassroot solutions in front of us for an exceptional life, longer exceptional life, smarter exceptional life, more united exceptional life as the current state of our individual worlds are not exceptional.
My take from Jurgens response? To let those who have the expertise, knowledge and hands on ability to make a difference be heard.
Collaboration between centres of excellence who share a purposeful passion for positive change is now making the genuine difference. An APP doesn’t provide a solution, it simplifies the problem for us.