Leaders in the limelight

Leaders. What is it that makes a good leader? What skills are needed to make you go from a good leader to a great leader? In this two-part blog, I’ll share my thoughts on what we can learn from some great leaders who have emerged over the past few weeks…

Now the World Cup is over, it’s time for me to come out and just say it – I’m not much of a football fan. Never have been. Never will be. Yet I have been fascinated in the last few weeks to see the impact of a new style of leadership with Gareth Southgate at the helm. Quiet Leadership. Thoughtful leadership. Personal Leadership. And there are plenty of leadership insights and practices that translate so well from the football pitch to the business office.

Let’s start by looking at the team Mr Southgate brought together – populated with plenty of Young Talent. Hungry talent. A little bit of raw talent. He took a bet on a few key players who he believed in. In business, we often look for the perfect fit candidate – someone already with all the skills, experience and proven success that we’re looking for. But how hungry are they to do a job that they know they can do? Which leads on to the next insight…

Culture is King 

Praising what has gone well, rather than criticising what hasn’t. A deep belief in success is key. After the successful penalty shoot-out against Columbia, Southgate told the media “We had total belief in what we were doing, right through to the end. Even when our first penalty was saved, I’ve seen enough shootouts where the first penalty missed isn’t the key one”. We’ve had the most open discussion about the psychologists that support the team- the mindset work.

Focus on the Process

Not the Result. As a business coach, my favourite quote from the England Manager said after the Columbia game is “we knew it was a process that we were in charge of”. What a different attitude – the whole penalty shoot-out was managed as a discrete project, dissected into the component parts and then executed to plan. What business situations would you benefit from taking charge of the process, rather than waiting for the economy/ competitors/suppliers to make a move?

Life’s a Mirror

With a manager who is calm, respectful, disciplined and composed – guess what? It rubs off on the team as well… As the leader, you set the example and others follow. To use an old cliché ‘do as I say not what I do’ just doesn’t wash.

Rituals

I read some great commentary on the weird and wonderful rituals the England fans were abiding by to keep England winning. From eating the same food each match and watching with the same group in the same chairs to wearing the same lucky clothing. In the team, there were also superstitious rituals, and others with a clear practical benefit in terms of eating, ice baths, lucky shin guards etc. All these help the players focus and team-based ones build team cohesiveness. So what rituals do you have in your business?

And then there’s the waistcoat…

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