Hello!
Last week, I went to hear Gareth Southgate speak at the Barbican, and I came away with some concrete examples of Leading with Heart.
The same skills he used with Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka are the ones we support leaders with.
1. Connection = Empathy + Accountability
Southgate spoke about listening deeply to his players. He said, “I think it’s important to listen and I think it is important to get a feel of what motivates the individual.” He didn’t just stand above the team; he engaged with them, recognised their different personalities and what made them tick (for example when working with players like Harry Kane or Marcus Rashford).
In my language: this is Connection - leading through empathy and holding people to account for their roles, behaviours and impact.
2. Authenticity = Vulnerability + Boundaries
Southgate’s style isn’t about shouting. He’s described as the “quiet leader” who builds culture rather than just demands it. He admitted he doesn’t have all the answers, that mistakes will happen, “I think I’m very conscious I’ve got a lot of faults… and I have done plenty of things wrong.” That’s vulnerability. Yet he also set clear boundaries and standards meaning the team culture changed, the behaviour changed.
In my language: this is Authenticity - showing up with your full human self and holding the line on behaviours that matter.
3. Consciousness = Self-awareness + Decisiveness
Southgate built a long-term plan for England; he invested in culture, in trust, in developing players for their potential as well as their performance. He said, “Sometimes you have to make decisions for the bigger picture.” He trusted players, gave them autonomy, yet was decisive when the moment came.
In my language: this is Consciousness - being self-aware (what are my biases? what am I really doing?) and ready to act when needed.
I think we could all be a little bit more Gareth!
Rox x