What Bafana's resilience teaches business about championship mindset

"THE button has been turned." Those five words from Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, following the team's draw against Zimbabwe, reveal more about championship mindset than most business books ever could.

- DR NIK EBERL

On Friday night at Moses Mabhida Stadium, the players walked off the pitch devastated. A goalless draw when victory was within reach. The kind of setback that breaks spirits, erodes belief, and, for many teams, marks the end of a dream.

But here's the difference between ordinary teams and extraordinary ones: champions know how to turn pain into power. And in that moment, Broos proved that leadership is not about avoiding disappointment — it’s about managing recovery.

Having spent two decades interviewing leaders across five continents, I've seen this pattern time and again. Championship teams and world-class organisations share one defining ability — the art of the reset.

The 24-Hour Rule

Broos gave his players exactly 24 hours to feel the pain. Not a minute more. By Sunday’s training session, team captain Ronwen Williams noticed something extraordinary. “If you could have seen our training yesterday,” he said, “you would have seen that the boys mean business.”

That quick turnaround — from frustration to focus — is the secret ingredient behind sustainable success. Broos’ approach mirrors what elite performers across industries understand: emotion has a shelf life. You acknowledge disappointment, but you don't let it linger.

In the world of business, we face our own Moses Mabhida moments every week.

The deal that slips through our fingers.

The product that underperforms expectations.

The campaign that doesn't land the way we hoped.