NOT the Gareth Southgate blog you were after

We all know how good a leader he is – he cares, he’s empathetic, he’s honest, he’s balanced – I’ll leave it to others more erudite than me to go into detail.

This, this my friends, is the alternative take. The unorthodox look at why he is such a good leader, based on desktop research, my own ‘patented’ Authentic Comms insight, and a sprinkling of Christ-I’ve-got-to-do-a-blog-soon (not blogged since Feb – mad year, in a host of ways).

So, without further ado, here are three things about Gareth that I believe make him a stand-out, modern leader.

1. He is a dog person.

Confused-Labrador-Retriever-Dog-Thinking-Picture.jpeg

In this interview from 2019, our Gareth reveals he has two dogs – a Labrador and a cockapoo.

“We’ve got a Labrador who I’m happy to be associated with, not so sure about being seen out in daylight with the cockapoo though!”

A dog person (or anyone who cares for a pet – chill the F out, cat lovers) is a type of person that can understand the bond formed between two creatures, and the almost psychic understanding and connection that comes from that.

Furthermore, as a cockapoo owner, I know he has patience and can deal with very intelligent, sometimes challenging, personalities.

Real point – He also is not afraid to clean up someone else’s shit.

 

2. He has a sense of humour.

During the ‘98 World Cup in France, the players dared each other to slip song titles into press and media duties. Gareth got two cracking ones into an interview – see below for the five second-clip. Blink and you’ll miss it:

Cheeky Gareth – click here if the above doesn’t work

Cheeky Gareth – click here if the above doesn’t work

Did you get it? Two Wham! tracks, what a hero.

Also, he’s able to take the mick out of himself, sharing this story from his honeymoon – just after his penalty got saved:

“I got away to Bali with my wife once we were knocked out and we found ourselves in a Buddhist temple, with these isolated lakes and volcanoes nearby. Unfortunately, I was spotted by a monk who told me, "You Gareth Southgate, England penalty drama!“

Real point – self-depreciation is a humanising attribute, in my opinion, showing a grounded leader, comfortable with themselves, and demonstrates a high-level of emotional intelligence.

 

3. He loves a hug.

As we’ve seen from recent footage, our Gareth loves a cuddle. Even hugging those who missed penalties against him (see fourth pic from the World Cup). What a man.

Why is this important? Surely hugging isn’t a prerequisite for being a good leader?

True. It isn’t – and shouldn’t be – for everyone. But what it shows is how empathetic he is. He cares. And he knows how it feels – to win, to lose, to feel everything a teammate can feel. The team know this and respect him for his experience, and appear to be better off for it.

Being psychologically safe is something I’ve learnt more about over the past years. In short, it is being able to show one's true self without fear of reprisal, retribution or any negative consequences.

It’s a safe ‘space’ to be genuinely you, expressing yourself and being comfortable taking a risk, knowing your fellow team members feel accepted and respected. You can tell the culture and vibe from this team is different to before.

And the being tactile? He’s a man after my own heart. Love a hug*.

Real point – Southgate gets the best out of his team because, I feel, they are psychologically safe. They pull together for the betterment of the team, and are expressing their true selves more than any other tournament I’ve watched.