I have to confess, I’m not a great sports fan. I did however get caught up in the Euro 2020 excitement, and felt incredibly proud of the England team, even discussing it with friends! When I said I couldn’t believe I was actually talking about football, one replied “You are discussing football like a management consultant!”, as I was praising Gareth Southgate’s leadership skills.

It really struck me how good a manager he was and how other leaders could learn from him.  Here are five ways in which I think he shines;  skills which any manager can use:

1. Communication:

Southgate communicates openly and respectfully with everyone. On first becoming Manager, he spoke to each member of staff to find out what they needed to do their best in their job. He encourages players to speak to him about anything; building rapport, trust and respect. He makes decisions and informs all involved about his thinking, so there’s no doubt. Involved in decision-making, they feel valued, respected and listened to. “If he has ever got a thought, he always speaks to players about their opinion and what they think of it,” said Declan Rice. When players aren’t played, they know why. When they are taken off, they know why, and respect his decisions.

2. Hiring well:

He has a strong support team, good at their jobs, who fit well together; so important when recruiting. It’s easy to teach skills but harder to change personality/attitude. Hiring the right fit, then trusting them to do the job to the best of their ability is key.

3. Keeping calm:

Known for being calm, he’s created an environment which encourages players to be calmer, feel comfortable expressing themselves, and far more positive in their whole approach. Encouraged to socialise/connect with each other away from games, the bond is stronger between players.

4. Humility:

Arrogance gets leaders nowhere. Southgate shows humility; encouraging openness, trust, recognition, admitting when he’s wrong, learning from mistakes, encouraging others to shine. He’s brave and bold, standing by controversial decisions in staff and player selections, and in matches. “He knows his strengths and recognises the area he can improve on and also tries to find people who work around him to try and fill those slots” Steve Holland, England coach.

5. Kindness and empathy

Irrespective of his career’s heady heights, he’s kind and humble. From writing personal messages to every staff member after the 2018 World Cup, to comforting and reassuring players who haven’t performed to plan. Having been there himself, he can relate to the pain. “That’s based on his style of support, of empathy, of kindness and understanding. He’s highly competitive and can be quite ruthless, but that doesn’t stop you being decent at the same time; he’s giving a modern lesson in decency at the moment.” Sports Psychologist Michael Caulfield.

Football aside, there’s a lot regular managers can learn from Southgate’s management style. These are just a few areas, have a think about whether you have any others to add.

Trust your team

Without trust, the team cannot function, fear increases, motivation decreases and the environment becomes toxic. To build trust, you need to talk to your team about it. Find out what their fears are (which may even be you!) and assure them you will make steps to address them. They may even be too fearful to tell you but you may still pick this up somehow, so it will need addressing. If they won’t talk to you or colleagues, think about bringing in an external coach to work through their thoughts with them.

Handling of mistakes

Assess how you address any mistakes they make. If you blame or embarrass them, they will not admit to any in future and they will not learn from them. You are just going to push them away and lose good employees. Support them if they make a mistake. Look at why it has happened and use it as a learning opportunity. Also, admit when you are wrong or have made a mistake. You will gain far more respect from your team if you do so and it will show a more human side of you.

Celebrate successes

Make them feel proud of their achievements and motivated to continue working well. Make them feel valued as human beings, not just commodities. Praise them, verbally, by email, give them a handwritten note, reward them. However you do it, celebrate them!

MBWA – Management By Walking About

Be seen. Mingle with the members of your team but absolutely not in an overbearing way that makes them feel like you are checking up on them. Make it a sociable, kind and supportive environment for them to work in.

Communicate

TALK with them, ask how they are doing, be interested in their lives, ask what they are thinking, if they have any recommendations about what they would like to see in the workplace, etc. Then LISTEN to them. If action is required and is appropriate, then ACT. If you delegate work to them, explain why the work is important, how it fits into the greater scheme of things and why they are the best person for the job. Keep them informed about the organisation’s plans, priorities, challenges, future opportunities and they will feel more part of the company.

By doing all of these, you should see your team members’ trust increase, their morale improve, as will retention, the general working environment, and productivity.

Inspire Training offers coaching for managers, as well as training in leadership, management and team building.

Its flagship training and coaching programme Confident New Manager Programme, combines training and coaching in a unique and specialised format to help managers gain a grounding in the essential skills needed.

Image by John Hain from Pixabay