Workplace Multiplier by Tola Akinsulire

July 1, 2026

Welcome to the Workplace Multiplier newsletter. Published Monday to Friday, equipping you to achieve your professional goals faster and without burnout or overwhelm.

The Part of the Mourinho Story I Left Out

Howdy ,

I left something out last time.

Mourinho's second Chelsea stint did not end well.

Abramovich fired him again. Mid-season. As defending champions.

Manchester United was rocky. Tottenham was rocky.

I did not mention that because it does not fit the highlight reel. But it fits the lesson better than the highlight reel does.

Here is the real pattern.

Powerful people did not bring Mourinho back because he always wins.

They brought him back because they always knew what they were getting.

His floor is known. His ceiling is known. His failures are documented, understood, and priced in.

That is the opposite of a gamble.

A new, unproven coach is a mystery box. You do not know the floor. You do not know the ceiling. You are betting on hope.

Mourinho is not hope. Mourinho is a known distribution of outcomes.

And boards, like bosses, do not fear failure. They fear the failure they cannot predict.

Ask yourself this today:

If your boss had to bet on your worst month, would they know roughly how bad it gets?

If they had to bet on your best month, would they know roughly how good it gets?

If the answer is no to either, you are not legible yet. You are still a mystery box.

Predictability is not a ceiling on your ambition. It is the floor that lets people trust you with more.

Keep winning at work and in life

Tola Akinsulire

Your Strategic Workplace Mentor