Leadership lesson from the Soccer pitch
As I write this, our hometown of Kansas City is hosting the World Cup. Soccer fever is everywhere. The irony is that my own soccer knowledge and skills are extremely limited. Yet one of the most important leadership lessons I've learned happened on a soccer field in Honduras.
In 2017, our family led our fifth mission trip to Honduras. We spent the week teaching sewing skills, helping with Vacation Bible School, assisting with construction projects, and encouraging local families.
One highlight was hosting a soccer tournament for boys from four local communities.
The surprises started early.
Just before the tournament began, the local pastor asked me to give an opening talk. A few minutes later, he asked me to perform the ceremonial kickoff. Having never played organized soccer, I'm sure I looked more like I was kicking an American football field goal than starting a soccer tournament.
Then came another request.
"Roosty, would you share a devotional during halftime?"
For the record, I'm not a pastor, I don't speak Spanish, and public speaking wasn't exactly in my comfort zone. Thankfully, a translator stood beside me as I rushed through the story of the prodigal son.
Throughout the day, the requests kept coming. Help organize players. Hand out ribbons. Take photos. Present awards.
If I'm honest, I became a little annoyed.
I had come prepared to serve in ways I understood, but I kept being asked to do things that felt uncomfortable and outside my abilities. Part of me kept thinking, "Surely there is someone more qualified for this."
When the championship game ended, the pastor handed me the tournament trophy and asked me to present it to the winning team.
As I picked up the trophy, I glanced down at the inscription.
"The First Annual Fulling Family Soccer Tournament."
I had no idea.
In that moment, everything clicked. The pastor wasn't interrupting my day. He was honoring our family and inviting me to be part of something meaningful.
What I viewed as inconveniences were actually opportunities.
Looking back, I wonder how much better the experience could have been—for those boys and for me—if I had embraced every request with a true attitude of service from the very beginning.
How often do we do the same thing at work?
A client asks for one more thing. A teammate needs help. A challenge lands on our desk that isn't in our job description. Our first reaction can be frustration rather than service.
But leadership is often found in those unexpected moments.
The winning team that day wasn't just the group holding the trophy. The real victory was learning that a winning attitude has very little to do with winning a game and everything to do with how we choose to serve.
When we approach people with humility, gratitude, and a willingness to help—even when it's inconvenient or outside our comfort zone—we create an impact far greater than we realize.
Rusty Fulling