IT Essentials: Southgate the servant leader

IT pros can learn from England's manager

IT Essentials: Southgate the servant leader

Gareth Southgate has changed the face of British football for the better. Here are some important lessons to take from watching him and his team.

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It's not always been easy watching, but England's men are now through to the finals for the Euros on Sunday - the first time we've ever reached a major tournament final on foreign soil. It's a fantastic achievement, and a testament to both the team's culture and risk appetite.

Since taking over as manager of the team in 2016, Gareth Southgate has built a culture of teamwork, trust and preparedness. He often talks about the team knowing they are playing for something larger than themselves, an element that was missing in a time of big personalities and bigger egos. When that's left behind, and every person on the pitch plays as part of a team, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

More than that, he's worked on players' emotional intelligence. Football arouses strong feelings on and off the pitch, and years ago it wasn't uncommon to see the occasional screaming match (or more - hark back to Zidane's headbutt in 2006). Now, even when players are pulled to the ground or pushed around by opposition coaches - don't think we didn't see you, Calzona - they're savvy in their response. Nobody makes their best decisions when they're angry, and Southgate knows keeping control is just as important as keeping your eye on the ball.

The last thing Southgate has done is to support his team at all times. When they're getting booed from the pitch, missing penalties or not performing at the level fans expect, Southgate steps up to defend both them and his own choices. They know their manager has their backs, even when other people don't.

At the same time, he's not afraid to take risks. In this week's semi-final against the Netherlands he subbed off captain Harry Kane, until that point England's only goal scorer of the match, for Ollie Watkins, who rewarded the decision with a game-winning goal in the 90th minute.

You can see where I'm going with this. The age of the authoritarian manager, who led through a culture of fear, is over. The servant leader, who brings out the best in their team, has arrived.

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