A conversation over the weekend reminded me of something that business owners often overlook. When Kevin Keegan’s name came up, it wasn’t the goals, the trophies or the Ballon d’Or awards that people remembered first. It was the way he approached everything.

He wasn’t regarded as the most naturally gifted footballer of his generation, not in the way players like George Best possessed effortless brilliance. Keegan was different. He became one of the world’s best because he brought something that many people underestimate: relentless enthusiasm. Liverpool manager Bill Shankly recognised it immediately when he signed him, observing that half the world is short on natural enthusiasm, but Kevin Keegan isn’t.

That same enthusiasm was still on full display decades later, as manager, in one of the most replayed moments in football history. Mid-way through a title race with Manchester United in 1996, visibly wound up on live television, Keegan didn’t hide behind measured, media-trained language. He said exactly what he felt:

“I will tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them! Love it!”

Most people remember that clip for the outburst. Fewer stop to notice what it actually reveals. That wasn’t a man performing enthusiasm for the cameras. It was a man who couldn’t have suppressed it if he’d tried. It’s the same quality Shankly had spotted in him years before, just under real pressure this time, and it’s exactly the quality most businesses are quietly short of.

That observation is just as relevant in business today as it was in football fifty years ago.

Every business owner eventually faces the same question

Why do some people consistently outperform others with similar qualifications? Why do some teams solve problems while others create them? Why do certain businesses keep moving forward even when conditions are difficult?

It’s tempting to think the answer is intelligence, experience or technical ability. In reality, those things only get you so far. The biggest difference is often attitude, and enthusiasm isn’t a personality trait so much as a competitive advantage.

Every growing business reaches a stage where systems become more complex. Processes increase, compliance increases, technology increases, and ironically, that’s often when enthusiasm begins to disappear. People start protecting departments instead of helping colleagues. They explain why something can’t be done instead of asking how it could be done. They answer the question that was asked instead of thinking about the question that should have been asked. Business slowly becomes filled with people who are technically competent but commercially disengaged, and that’s expensive.

The best people don’t just complete tasks

Every owner has experienced both types of employee. One receives a problem and passes it back; the other receives a problem and owns it. One waits for instructions; the other looks for solutions. One sees their job description; the other sees the client’s objective.

The difference isn’t usually skill. It’s mindset. The best people create momentum, and they make everyone around them better.

AI makes this even more important

Many business owners worry that artificial intelligence will replace people. I think the reality is slightly different. AI will replace routine work. It will automate administration, answer standard questions and complete repetitive processes faster than any human ever could.

What it won’t replace is enthusiasm. It won’t care more. It won’t notice the opportunity behind the numbers, challenge a client’s thinking, or spot that a conversation is heading in the wrong direction. It won’t inspire a team through a difficult period. Technology is becoming better at doing the mechanical work, and that makes human qualities more valuable, not less.

Stop managing weaknesses. Start building around strengths.

One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is assuming everyone should contribute in the same way. They spend years trying to turn cautious people into salespeople, analytical people into managers, and creative people into administrators.

Instead, great leaders understand something much simpler: people produce their best work when their natural strengths are matched to the right role. Kevin Keegan didn’t become successful by trying to play like George Best. He became successful by doubling down on what made him different, and the same principle applies inside every business.

Culture isn’t what you write on the wall

It’s what people experience every day. Culture is the colleague who stays behind to help someone else solve a problem. It’s the manager who admits they’ve got something wrong. It’s the person who looks for the opportunity instead of the excuse, and the employee who leaves a client feeling better after every conversation.

None of those things appear in a job description, yet they’re often the reason clients stay, employees remain loyal and businesses continue to grow.

Questions every business owner should ask

Rather than asking “how do I get more from my team?”, try asking:

  • Are my people in roles that play to their strengths?
  • Do we reward ownership or simply activity?
  • Are we creating problem solvers or permission seekers?
  • Does our technology free people to think, or simply help them complete more administration?
  • When someone walks into a room, do they bring energy or drain it?

Those questions reveal far more about the future of a business than its latest management accounts.

The businesses that will thrive

The firms that succeed over the next decade won’t necessarily have the smartest people, nor will they simply have the latest technology. They’ll have teams that combine technology with curiosity, ownership, humility and enthusiasm. People who don’t stop at answering the question, but ask the next one. People who care enough to keep improving.

That’s the real lesson. Kevin Keegan wasn’t remembered because he scored goals. He was remembered because he made everyone around him believe they could achieve more. As business owners, that’s probably the most valuable quality we can develop ourselves, because energy spreads, and so does negativity.

The question is simple: which one are you bringing into your business every day?

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