Spotlight on Southgate

Ahead of the World Cup, Tim Bechervaise explores Gareth Southgate’s unique leadership style

You probably don’t remember the date but you’ll probably remember the day. It was 4 July 2018, when the men’s England football team beat Colombia on penalties in the World Cup, prompting nationwide disbelief and celebration. England were in the quarter-finals, but more than that, they had won a World Cup penalty shoot-out for the first time.

There are many enduring images from that day, but for me, one stands out. It’s not Jordan Pickford’s penalty save or Eric Dier’s winning spot-kick – it’s manager Gareth Southgate quietly withdrawing from the celebrations to console a Colombian player who missed a penalty. If anyone knew his pain, it’s Southgate, who has been tormented by the one he missed in the semi-final loss against Germany in Euro 96.

It was a stand-out moment that epitomised why the nation fell in love with Gareth Southgate that summer.

Four years on, Gareth Southgate will again lead England in a World Cup. The difference this time (aside from a winter World Cup, due to soaring summer temperatures in host country Qatar) is that the pressure on England, and Gareth Southgate especially, outweighs the modest expectations of 2018. In some quarters, anything but winning the tournament is a failure.

Consequently, Southgate’s football management will come under more scrutiny than ever (some fans are already calling for him to be sacked, following a poor set of results in May). Less in question are his leadership skills, which have contributed hugely to the admiration people have for him, well beyond the footballing world, to the extent that some joke that he’d make a better Prime Minister than football manager.

But hidden in the joke is a chunk of truth, particularly given recent political drama at Downing Street. In many ways, Gareth Southgate epitomises much that we’d love to see in those leading our country. So what can we learn from him and look out for during the tournament?

Don’t be defined by failure

In many ways, Gareth Southgate is synonymous with failure; the focus on England’s failure to reach the final of Euro 96 begins with him, while the focus on Southgate’s career begins with Euro 96.

‘I tell myself time has moved on, people aren’t bothered about the penalty any more,’ he said in his joint autobiography with Andy Woodman, Woody and Nord: A Football Friendship. ‘And then I’m in a hotel lobby and a girl turns to her boyfriend and says: ‘I think that’s the guy that missed the penalty.’ ‘Sssh’, he says, but too late.’

It’s hard to imagine the inescapable turmoil this must have brought Southgate. But he’s found a way to channel this into something positive.

‘I’ve learned a million things from that day and the years that followed it,’ Southgate said in 2018. ‘When something goes wrong in your life, it doesn’t finish you and you should become braver, knowing that you’ve got to go for things in life and don’t regret because you didn’t try to be as good as you might be.’

This all fed into the articulate penalty preparation he put players through in 2018, meaning they were in a stronger position, both physically and psychologically, to succeed. And succeed they did, providing some redemption for Southgate and a beautiful subplot to the celebrations.

Apologise when you get it wrong

In March 2019, during a match in Montenegro, several of England’s black players were subjected to racist abuse, including Danny Rose, whose frustration boiled over in a late tackle that drew a yellow card.

‘So when we got in the changing room, I’m having a go at Danny for getting booked,’ said Southgate, unaware of the abuse levelled at his players. ‘I had to apologise on the plane because it suddenly emerged this had been going on during the game.’ It reinforced Southgate’s reputation as a leader of integrity.

Leaders can find apologising difficult, even if they recognise their errors. They fear it will tarnish their reputation, not knowing that a refusal to apologise is doing just that.

During the Partygate revelations, what was most infuriating for many people was not the illegality, but the seeming reluctance to apologise. People are far more willing to accept errors when there is clear contrition and accountability.

Arguably, saying sorry enhances a reputation. It brings out a vulnerability that can deepen a relationship with those you’re leading and make people more able to identify with you.

Inspire and encourage joy

In recent history, the England shirt has been heavy to wear, given the scrutiny and expectations that come with representing the national side. Players have admitted as such. But in the last two tournaments, the team looks unshackled from this, playing with a freedom and joy that stems from Southgate’s management.

You need only look at pictures of the team playing with inflatable unicorns in the swimming pool, or the way in which a darts tournament between players and journalists during the 2018 World Cup broke the hostile wall that has for years divided the two.

It’s an approach reflected in the management of Sarina Wiegman who led the Lionesses to Euro 2022 glory in the summer. ‘As a player, sometimes I didn’t think I enjoyed it enough,’ she said before the tournament. ‘I worked so hard. You’re there, you’re doing what you love the most, you’re doing your best, so why don’t you just have fun, too?’

Joy is infectious. Leaders who embody this give people the freedom to express themselves as well as the freedom to make mistakes. ‘Yes, it’s all about winning, but you perform better when you can be yourself and when you’re in an environment – and it sounds like school – an environment where you’re safe, where you will not be judged,’ adds Wiegman.

Cultivate an atmosphere of care

We return to where we began, focusing on one of Gareth Southgate’s most striking qualities, empathy. It’s the defining feature of his superb man-management skills and again was on display last summer following England’s loss to Italy (on penalties!) in the final of Euro 2020.

Online racial abuse was targeted at the three players who missed penalties, including Bukayo Saka. ‘Gareth Southgate was really helpful as well because he had Bukayo in his hands in that moment and they were really caring and really supportive of him,’ said the player’s club manager, Mikel Arteta.

Of course, not all leaders are like Southgate and naturally empathetic. But showing care, however that may be, is easily done, and what’s striking about Arteta’s words is the use of ‘they’. In other words, Southgate cultivated an atmosphere of care.

If a leader finds that empathy is not where they excel, it’s worth surrounding themselves with people who are strong in this. More than anything, people want to feel loved. Get that right and people will truly flourish.