What kind of leader are you?

Gareth Southgate has had a good couple of weeks, there’s no doubt about it.  From stores running out of waistcoats to the heart warming #GarethSouthgateWould Twitter trend, his team and country have got behind him in the greatest football success for nearly 30 years.

It’s not just that he knows a bit about football.  The personal qualities and tactics that he’s shown are fundamental to his success and ones very familiar to us at Action Coach.

Here are just a few things that have been fundamental to his success, that we aim to convey to all of the business owners we work with.

Vision and Values

Southgate’s values are clear to see, and the role models that behaviour to his entire team.  His work ethic and values of respect and quiet integrity shine through and define him as a leader.  Allowing Delph to return home for the birth of his child, to his consolation of the Columbian player who missed a penalty showed true empathy and priority of those values.  It’s clear that the team respect him enormously and work harder for him as a result.  Harry Kane as captain also reflects those values in his own leadership, rolling down throughout the whole team.

Mindset

We all remember his missed penalty in 1996, and the devastation that was clear to see.  Southgate has shown the true meaning of resilience, perseverance and courage.  As a business owner, there will be mistakes, bad luck, mis-timings and misjudgements that can trip us all up.  However, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and carry on.  That resilience is the difference between success and failure, not the mistake itself.

“our greatest glory is not in never falling, but rising every time we fall – Confucius”

 “I have got a bit braver as I’ve got older and I guess that’s the freedom of realising that when you make mistakes, it’s the only way to learn and improve,”

Knowing your numbers

It’s not all modesty and kindness.  Underneath the waistcoat, Southgate is relentless in his knowledge and analysis of the numbers.

Everything has been tested and measured in minute detail.  Since the early stages of the qualifiers, he has experimented with different formations, strategies and positions and studied the results, until finally deciding on his back 3.

“We have to have some consistency in formation, some consistency in what we are asking the players to do,” he said. “We have to focus on a system and really try to hone it, work on it, improve it, and that might mean we have to leave some good players out. 

This is music to our ears as Action Coach put a great emphasis on measuring results, using our 5 ways approach to keep track of your performance and progress.

He also doesn’t confine his homework to his own team.  He’s meticulous about researching the performance of the competition, as well as the winning tactics of lower league teams and other sports entirely, particularly in set pieces.

The ‘love train’ formation of players lining up has been taken directly from Lincoln City, and he has also drawn inspiration from the NBA.  He has attended Minnesota Timberwolves games to work out how England can make better use of vertical space for headers.

Planning for the future

Southgate’s management of the youth team has been a big factor in this World Cup.  He has believed and invested in developing young players from the beginning, rather than relying on more established big stars of the past.  Not only has this been great for this World Cup, it secures a more promising future in World Cups to come.

Belief in the team as a whole

Southgate’s investment in younger players also means that the team is bigger than the sum of its parts.  The focus is on what the team can achieve, not the glory of individual players or goal scoresheets.  Other policies of eating together, no phones at the table, fun practice sessions (complete with rubber chickens) have all been key factors

Not only that, you will also hear Southgate thank staff, families and everyone else who contributes to the success of the team as a whole.  He realises that every person, and every link in the chain is vital.

Each of our programmes understands the importance of engaging your team and getting their buy in on your goals and success, and look at strategies to achieve this.

There are so many ways that we can learn from the approach of the England team, from working on your company vision, to testing and measuring strategies and systems, and making the right investments and the right times.

And if all else fails, turn up and wear a waistcoat!