Sven's way to success

Big football matches now look to be as much about mind games as skill on the pitch. While the Nigerians reportedly consulted a witch doctor to give them a helping hand in their World Cup qualifying game, England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed he had his own secret weapon - a quietly-spoken Norwegian psychologist.

Eminent sports guru Dr Willi Railo has been preparing the squad mentally for the ultimate challenge of securing the Jules Rimet trophy for the first time in 36 years. While coaching staff have been honing players' physical skills, Dr Railo has been busy bolstering their psychological prowess.

The Norwegian doctor has already attracted attention for describing skipper David Beckham as a "cultural architect" within the team, a leader who wants to take the squad forwards.

But the underlying principle of his teachings is that fear of failure is what holds many people back from success. Whether you are a professional footballer or a City financier, this kind of fear can seriously affect your performance by prompting you to take fewer risks - the kind of risks that often contribute to success.

Experts say Dr Railo's philosophy holds true not just in sports psychology but in all walks of life, from personal relationships and the state of your health to success in the workplace.

"For the England players it was about self-confidence and self-belief and the need to dare to lose a match in order to win it. Winners hate to lose, but winners aren't afraid of losing," says Dr Railo. "And winners dare to win. You need to remove that psychological barrier that holds you back."

"It's all about risk-taking," says Professor Cary Cooper, an expert on psychology in the workplace at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. 'If you think you are going to fail, then you're going to be very conservative. This then leads to decisions that are too secure and not sufficiently risk-taking."

In sport, it has become recognised that such anxiety can make top professionals turn in performances like amateurs. Extreme fear of failure can lead to a physiologically debilitating effect in the part of the brain that controls movement. The result is elementary mistakes which jeopardise the chances of success. Psychologists call this "choking", where well-trained professionals are reduced to making basic errors because their mind has convinced the body it's not up to the job.

Between them, Eriksson and Dr Railo have set about tackling this fundamental fear that appears to have dogged past England squads. They want to convince players that once they are not afraid to lose, they can start to take the kind of riskier decisions that give them more chance of winning.

According to Professor Cooper, this strategy holds good for anyone wishing to make a success of their own lives. "In the competitive world we live in, there are people who are overly risky and there are those who are risk averse."

The trick, says Professor Cooper, is to take controlled risks, whether it involves promotion at work or patching up problems in your relationships. Controlled risks involve analysing the potential benefits and disadvantages of taking action and weighing them against the potential consequences of not doing anything. "Entrepreneurs take controlled risks. They know that from time to time they are going to fail, but they have what we call the 'bounce-back factor'. They fail, then they say, 'Right, let's get on with it'."

In contrast, he says, people rarely deal with relationship problems in the same way. For example, if someone has one bad marriage, they may resolve never to settle down again, for fear of failing a second time. But in the process they may miss out on the opportunity of a truly rewarding and successful relationship, or the chance to have children.

Professor Cooper says: "Talk to somebody who will be honest and open with you - such as a really close friend. List all the options available and the costs and benefits of each one. This gives you some sense of control - it's not just a random process."

According to Cooper, overcoming fear of failure in the workplace is also central to success. "In a job, this fear of failing frequently leads to decisions that are too conservative and secure. You do things that just make you tick over."

So do you go for that promotion, or will your career suffer if you are seen to fail? Again, says Cooper, the secret is to weigh up whether the potential gains justify the risk of failure and to try and overcome the fear of losing out.

It's a strategy that served England well in their historic victory over our South American rivals. "The team came out to win against Argentina," says Cooper. "They did not come out to draw."

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