Last night’s England world cup football match left me thinking about something that extends far beyond sport.
One team played positively, attacked with confidence and deservedly took the lead.
Then something appeared to change.
Instead of continuing to influence the game, they retreated. Possession was surrendered, pressure increased and confidence seemed to drain away. Their opponents sensed it, grew stronger and eventually turned the game around.
Only after falling behind did the attacking intent return.
It was too late.
Watching it unfold, I found myself asking a different question.
Not, “Why did they lose?”
But…
“What changed in the choices they were making?”
None of us can know whether the shift came from the manager, from senior players or from the team collectively.
But we could all see the behaviour change.
I’ve seen exactly the same pattern in organisations.
A team begins with clarity, confidence and purpose. People contribute ideas, solve problems and move the organisation forward.
Then pressure arrives.
A deadline tightens.
Competition increases.
A mistake is made.
Almost unnoticed, the question changes from:
“How do we achieve our objective?”
to:
“How do we avoid losing what we’ve already gained?”
The behaviour changes.
Communication becomes more cautious.
Innovation slows.
People begin protecting rather than creating.
We often describe this as a loss of confidence.
I’m beginning to wonder whether something deeper is happening.
Perhaps what we’re really seeing is a change in Human Agency.
Not because people suddenly become less capable, but because pressure narrows the choices they believe are available to them.
The irony is that many teams rediscover their courage only after they’ve fallen behind.
The capability was there all along.
Only the choices had changed.
For leaders, perhaps the more important question isn’t whether people understand the strategy.
It’s whether they have embraced the vision deeply enough to continue making intentional choices when the pressure increases.
Because that’s often the moment when Human Agency becomes most visible.
What do you think?
Have you ever watched a team—or an organisation—stop trying to win and start trying not to lose?