If you had the opportunity to go back in time and give yourself some advice, what would you say??Thought-provoking isn’t it?!
How do you continue striving to be the best you can be??For me personally, it’s about reflection.?It’s about learning from your mistakes.?It’s about growing into the best version of yourself.
For many years, people have often referenced the synergies between sports and business; the tactical plan, your best players in the right positions, building a team culture; not to mention the mental battle in success.?
Both have leaders and critical thinkers… people who are not afraid to take risks and step up on to the big stage.
Gareth Southgate’s approach to football highlights some valuable lessons in business:
- Learning from failures – Euro 96 is forgotten by many, however that penalty miss is something that followed Gareth for some time after. Yet, it’s that miss that has helped him shape his own sequential philosophy to build a dynamic team with high expectations of success. Gareth has always been very open in owning mistakes, which has encouraged his players and staff to carry the transparency. Coaching your team members to be open drives a particular ethos to take calculated risks, yet still learn from mistakes without losing that humility as a true leader.
- Empowerment – Gareth trusts his team. He believes in raw talent and giving young players the opportunity to deliver on the big stage. The squad this year is the youngest team to represent England for decades. One of the best leadership styles in business is surrounding yourself with good people and letting them truly excel.?Many businesses fail to get the best out of their ‘stars’ because they try and squeeze them into company’s old traditional ways and culture, but the truth is we hire great people so they can tell us what we should be doing, not the other way around.
- Don’t Underestimate Quietness – When you see Gareth, he immediately strikes you as a calm and collected individual, borderline quiet or timid; but there’s a time to be ruthless and make big decisions.?One no smaller than the time he dropped Wayne Rooney to introduce younger strikers in the frame.?There are times when big business decisions need to be made too.?A good listener should not be seen as inferior to an extrovert leader.?God gave us two ears and mouth remember.
- Focus on the journey, not the outcome – Gareth’s energy has always been spent in preparation, mindset and team dynamics.?Once his players are on the field, the only message is to enjoy yourself.?When you know you have star performers in your business, you spend your time refining skills, sharpening business acumen and commercial awareness, but when it comes down to it, you have to ensure that your team is enjoying the journey, not just hitting the monthly target.
- No I in TEAM – One of Gareth’s greatest successes is the authentic team mentality he has established, taking the individual egos out of the game.?The other night saw him take Jack Grealish off having only spent 30 mins on the field as a substitute himself.?Jack understood we had to protect the score and the tactics and Gareth’s game strategy that is really respected.?Historically, England have had the one or two superstars that have always taken the headlines on and off the pitch however, when you reflect on this year’s squad and team rotations, it’s clear everyone is equal and they have such an important role to play regardless if they are in the starting 11 or a 60-minute substitution.?Some of our most prolific players in this tournament are not the typical strikers and headline winners; they are our creative midfielders, our fast wing-banks, our talented goalkeeper. Treating the junior or backroom staff in the business the right way is critical if you want to lead a team to success. They need to know how important their role is within the business.
These are some of the key elements that have built our business to what it is today.?Community Partners is a global portfolio business that has scaled multi-million pound consultancy partnerships from scratch across the UK and EMEA regions.
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Regardless of the outcome last night, every player, substitute, coach, staff, medic, physio, nutritionist and fan watching across the entire world... should be immensely proud ???