For many, for understandable reasons, this summer will be one of frustration and foiled plans as we continue to battle through the pandemic. For Leeds United fans like myself it will be a summer to savour. One we have been awaiting for many years and, at times, the likes of which we wondered whether we would ever see again.
For those who might have missed it – and it’s quite possible, given the way the football season played out behind closed doors long after it’s usually done and dusted – Leeds won promotion and made a triumphant return to the footballing top flight for the first time in 16 years.
A turbulent period
Even by modern football’s standards, where the gulf between the haves and the have-nots is wider than ever and all but the very richest clubs could topple off the financial cliff edge at any moment, it’s been a turbulent period in Leeds United’s history. Mismanagement twenty years ago led to the club falling into financial disarray. Relegation followed along with twice being forced to go into administration. The club had four different owners throughout this period.
It was the fourth owner, Andrea Radrizzani, who deserves the credit for turning the club’s fortunes around. Radrizanni bought the club in 2017 and since then has set about systematically investing to assemble a team – on and off the pitch – that he believed could take the club forward. The appointment of Marcelo Bielsa as manager of the side was the turning point on the pitch.
Marching on together
Bielsa, for his part, started to work on the players. He knew how to get the best out of what he had, improving each player by focusing on their strengths, raising work rates and emphasising the importance of all working together for the team. He concentrated on the long term and the players he bought were primarily youth players, while the club invested in the footballing academy and the training ground facilities.
This was emphatically not a smash-and-grab, quick-fix approach of gambling on wildly expensive players to propel them into the Premier League. It was about focusing on the future and laying firm foundations for (hopefully) long-lasting success.
Seeing Radrizanni and Bielsa’s vision coming to fruition so successfully was satisfying for me as a fan. All the more so as it comes after so many years of seeing just how badly it can go if you don’t get it right. There are few better demonstrations of maximising team performance, implementing a plan and positioning a business for long-term success than in the business of football, but there are universal elements to this story that we can all relate to.
Unique proposition
I am part of a team and a business that is building the future. Having recently celebrated its fifth birthday, Progeny is still relatively young but in those five years we have covered a lot of ground. Our story is one of constant growth, progress and innovation.
It was our vision to become the first and only firm in the UK to bring together independent financial planning, asset management, tax, HR and private and corporate legal services. Now we are committed to delivering this unique proposition to new clients, helping them meet complex challenges and achieve their own goals.
We are focusing on moving the business forward every day while bringing the right people into the team, developing our existing expertise and adopting the best strategy to position the business for the long term.
Helping you do the same
Part of what Progeny does is help other businesses and individuals to do the same. Our HR experts, Progeny HR Consultancy & Advice, deliver a full range of outsourced HR services to clients, helping them develop their staff, recruit the right members for their teams and put the processes in place to maximise performance.
Our corporate legal team provides support for businesses that are planning for growth, aiming for a particular goal or positioning for a sale in future. They can help advise companies on how they can increase their appeal to potential investors. Or what makes a business a more attractive proposition in the marketplace, allowing the owners to maximise these factors when planning for an exit.
Our financial advisers and investment managers help individuals and investors in putting together a plan to meet their financial and investing goals, understanding how this can be the engine to drive satisfaction and success in their personal and family lives.
Leeds fans will certainly enjoy this summer, but what the last 16 years in Leeds United’s history have shown us, and what Radrizanni and Bielsa have demonstrated, is that getting the right plans and the right people in place are not only vital for success, you need both working together to achieve your full potential.
If we can help you with any aspects of your financial, legal and business planning, please get in touch.
