Your values matter

Gareth Southgate leadership lessons

I love Gareth Southgate.

I finally saw James Graham's fantastic play Dear England recently - and I was basically ready to cry from curtain up. (No actual curtain of course as it's a trendy modern play).

What's that about? (And there is a business lesson in this I promise)

I'm not even really into football, but the existence of Gareth Southgate as England manager makes me feel better about the world, and makes me feel better about being a man. The word 'role model' gets thrown around, but I think one reason his leadership approach has such an emotional payload (😭😭😭) is his understanding that a national football side is about more than just being good at sport. You have to stand for something. So it's also about the way that you are good at it.

Lesson one: values matter. The way you move towards your aim, as an individual, a team and a business matter. They end up having an impact that can go far beyond the boundaries of your work and your organisation.

Lesson two: this counts double for leaders. The way you chose to see your team, and the world, is highly consequential.