Collina has E&Y world summit enraptured

If lean and fit can be personified, Pierluigi Collina would walk through the door with ease. The former FIFA and Serie A referee is considered by many to be the world's greatest football referee and one of the most recognized faces in the world today. Precisely the reason why, in a football frenzy season the world over, a packed audience at the World Summit of Ernst & Young (E&Y) listened to his presentation on "Preparation: the key to be the best," in rapt attention. In particular, Pierluigi (a financial consultant too) drew lessons for business leaders and entrepreneurs from his experiences as a referee.

Pierluigi recognized that to be the best football referee, detailed preparation for every game was critical. He believes that there is both technical and physical preparation. Researching and getting to know the teams prior to the game, familiarising himself with individual players in each team, studying any history of rivalry between the teams as well as understanding the objectives of each team, prepared him to anticipate areas of risk or potential problems. Is that not what good business is all about? How did he excel in this? 

To start with, he believes that physical fitness of the referee is crucial because otherwise, one will not be able to take quick and right decisions. He says that traditional wisdom is that when one has to take a crucial decision, one will not take a quick decision, but think over, deliberate and take a call. But in football refereeing, one does not have the luxury for this and often has to take a decision "in half a second or, virtually in the time that your eye blinks."

The other aspect about refereering is that every match is different. By studying video clippings in detail, Pierluigi normally studies the teams and their tactics, achievements of every player and know in advance how the players may react and act on the field. This will again help him to take the right decisions.