🤔 Ahead of the England game this Sunday, I’ve been reflecting on some of the leadership lessons that are playing out (pardon the pun) during #Euro2024.
🏆 Critiques of England's timid performance against Slovenia remind me of Heidi K. Gardner's insightful arguments on why teams often underperform when it matters the most. Her research found that as performance pressure mounts, expert teams often grow more cautious and revert to tried-and-true solutions. In other words, when all that matters is winning, we might get too focused on not losing. When does your team pass backwards instead of going for goal?
🔊 By addressing the ‘unusual atmosphere’ at the game and asking fans to ‘boo me, not the players’, Southgate has prioritised creating psychological safety for his team, which is crucial for a healthy working environment. When was the last time you put yourself in the firing line so your team can regroup and grow?
🌀 One of the criticisms leveled at Southgate is that he fails to orchestrate the extraordinary talent in his team. We probably have the best players we've ever had in the tournament, but people feel they just don't work together well as a team. Proof that, even with the best group of individuals, there is still a role for a leader to bring them into a team to perform.
🔥 What game are they playing? Not the players, the pundits! Yes, it is their job to comment and critique. Yet, I am always baffled by the zeal and delight with which football pundits lay into England managers, effectively, "one of their own". They all used to wear the Three Lions on their shirt. With all the recent focus on mental health (not least in football), is this yet another instance of "I went through a baptism of fire, why shouldn’t you?” When was the last time you were the armchair expert?
⚽ Will you be watching the game this weekend? What do you think of Southgate and his team?
#Euros #GarethSouthgate #Leadership #Euro2024 #UEFA #ThreeLions
