This week the hashtag ‘GarethSouthgateWould’ has sent Twitter into overdrive and demonstrated the high esteem in which the England Football Manager is held.
Some of the many brilliant tweets that have been shared:
- GarethSouthgateWould know the difference between Reply and Reply All
- GarethSouthgateWould fold the end of the Sellotape over when he’s finished using it, so the next person doesn’t have to spend ages trying to find it
- GarethSouthgateWould say a new variation of ‘thank you’ each time you held a long succession of doors open for him in a corridor
- GarethSouthgateWould put out dishes of fresh water for hedgehogs during the UK heatwave and he’d give them some catfood too
- GarethSouthgateWould eat all the Bountys from the celebration tub because he knows nobody likes them
We’d like to add our own to the list – GarethSouthgatewould win at Lean Six Sigma!
Whilst not every member of the Catalyst team is English, we recognise good leadership when we see it. Gareth Southgate indeed DOES do the things a role model leader should do. Gareth Southgate does…
- Create belief and confidence within the team.
- Focus on ‘team’
- Focus on processes – such as set pieces and penalty taking
- Grow new talent
- Look ‘outside’ and assess the competition
- Maintain a constancy of purpose
- Think ahead to the next round
- Respond to what’s happening now
- Admit mistakes
- Recognise and celebrate good performance
- Give credit to the team
Gareth Southgate leads with humility. Humility enables continuous improvement and innovation, as it helps maximise the contribution from others. Those who lead with humility know the importance of helping those on the ground make genuine progress.
And the root of the word is ‘humus’, meaning ‘dirt’ – leaders with this quality are not preoccupied with themselves, they focus on others, acting as the ground, or the dirt that people walk on. They provide a basis of belief and encouragement that truly inspires.
And Gareth Southgate does.
