The lighter side of Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino

Sometimes, with the incessant, taxing daily stress that comes with managing a top football team, it’s easy to forget that Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino, like you and me, is a person who loves to laugh, relax and let loose. 

Unless you’ve been in Pochettino’s shoes, it’s impossible to understand  how burdening and debilitating consistently being exposed to the public limelight is. We can only imagine and contemplate how a day in the life of one of the world’s most highly touted managers feels.

The demands and rigours, the sacrifice and unwavering mental strength. It’s enough to make one want to crawl under the covers and hide from the world, just for one day. That, however, is not an option for a manager whose public persona is perpetually judged, evaluated and dissected by fans, players and media alike. Relentless and unabating, Pochettino is placed continually under a microscope.

Sure, Pochettino is compensated handsomely, but, to deal with mounting pressure in a professional manner with decorum and poise, he deserves every penny.

After the rollercoaster of emotions his mind and body have recently endured, it’s refreshing to see Pochettino relaxed, loose and full of humour.

The first sign of his care-free side came when Pochettino told a joke about Real Madrid at a press conference, which, to no fault of his own, was poorly received by the Galácticos’ top brass.

Lately he’s provided supporters with insight into what makes Pochettino human, a glimpse into yet another reason his players, without question, follow him into battle, even if defeat was certain.

The world’s best leaders are complex, equipped with the power of persuasion, adept at, when required, showing fearless authority. Great leaders have the knack of knowing when to speak candidly, when to forgive, when to take accountability and when to step on a landmine for the good of the collective.

As importantly, though, inspiring leaders are proud of their flaws; they’re vulnerable and show a range of raw emotion, unworried about public perception. They have compassion and empathy, and relate on a deep, meaningful level to those who voluntarily, and unconditionally, follow their lead.

Charisma and charm take a leader only so far. Having the compassion, humour, empathy required to form family-like bonds are the rare intangibles that provide Pochettino the platform needed to achieve unlikely, near-impossible feats.

It’s why he will succeed no matter he goes, as people in his inner circle feel the air of authenticity, genuineness and transparency he unremittingly emits. Those are the intangibles that cannot be learned, and are more rare than a Tottenham berth in the Champions League final.