How to become a leader in your business
By Geoff Lawrence, marketing director at Vistage UK
There’s a discernable difference between being a good
Part of Gareth’s success is often credited to his approachable and engaging
His ability to
1. Loosen your grip
When entering a managerial role, it’s easy to jump in guns blazing in order to make your mark and assert authority. Instead, take a step back and ask yourself, ‘am I over managing?’. If so, try adopting a more relaxed approach. Have faith you’ve led your staff effectively enough to encourage ownership and accountability, ensuring they have the correct resources to get the job done well. When Southgate first took up his role, he actively sought out advice from experts. He saw the value of stepping outside of his immediate peer-group to seek advice inspiration from other sporting disciplines such as the NFL and Cricket. He saw parallels and was able to
2. Trust and respect your staff
In a similar vein, fostering an environment of mutual levels of trust and respect, with all team members, is crucial to being a leader. Don’t be afraid to get ‘stuck in’ with the rest of them. Next time you’re watching a match keep your eyes on Southgate. He’s grounded and isn’t afraid to run alongside on the pitch to keep abreast with the players. Your presence as a leader instils support and empowers your team members.
3. A Company is not a machine
Part of what makes Southgate a great leader
4. Change = Opportunity
Business leaders see change as an opportunity to be seized. It’s important to know that continual success and growth only comes for organisations willing to embrace the new. In the selection process for the World Cup, Southgate formed a squad comprising of young players such as Jesse Lingard and experienced veterans such as Gary Cahill. The influx of new talent brought
5. Make work a fun place to be
It goes without saying: competition is rife. Even within the same organisation employees can feel divided amongst departments, teams and groups. Despite working towards a common end, different departments tend to have their own objectives, which at times can get in the way and blind them from the shared business goal. They are often compared and marked against another department’s progress. Exceptional leaders unite their teams with a single vision and never lose sight of it. Gareth managed to blank out the white noise to focus on ensuring the team shared the sense of purpose. He also treated the squad as professionals, letting them set their own curfews, and allowing them to celebrate their wins. Gareth’s goal wasn’t restricted to just winning the cup, as manager he
6. Empowerment – reinforce positivity in the face of failure
Failure is an unfortunate and regular reality in the world of business. A fear of failure can be crippling for organisations; especially if team members feel uneasy about making calculated risky decisions that could potentially yield great results. With mounting pressure on a global stage, Gareth Southgate’s management style empowered players to approach each game positively.
England’s success at the World Cup delighted the nation, and Gareth Southgate’s leadership has been front and centre of the team’s set up. Like a failing/struggling business, incoming leaders have to find their identity and adapt to a new situation. Incredible leaders have a different understanding of their role than average leaders. Gareth has had to do things differently to help these group of men to achieve their goals this summer.
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