Series: Leading the Game: Leadership in Football
A weekly series exploring how football executives can lead with clarity, purpose, and resilience in today’s game.
“The secret is to have a good team spirit and strong leadership. You must lead by example, but you must also listen.”
— Sir Alex Ferguson
Football has never been more complex, more global, or more scrutinized than it is today. Clubs are no longer just sports teams. They are brands, businesses, and cultural institutions. The pressure on executives to lead effectively continues to grow.
In the dressing room, leadership is often visible and celebrated. But in the boardroom, it is harder to define and even harder to develop. What makes a great football CEO? How do sporting directors shape a winning culture? And what separates those who simply react from those who lead with intent?
This article is the first in a weekly series, Leading the Game, where we explore what leadership truly means in modern football. Drawing from real-world examples, leadership research, and the unique demands of the game, I will share insights for football executives who want to lead with greater clarity, resilience, and long-term impact.
Let’s begin with the fundamentals. What makes a great football leader today?
5 Traits of Great Football Leaders
1. Vision
The best leaders in football think beyond the next match. They understand where the club needs to be in five or ten years and make decisions that align with that long-term direction. Leaders like Edwin van der Sar at Ajax helped build a clear philosophy that shaped everything from recruitment to academy development. Without vision, clubs drift.
– A great football leader defines a long-term destination and aligns the entire organisation toward it.
2. Emotional Intelligence
Leadership in football is people-focused. Managing players, agents, coaching staff, and board members requires self-awareness, empathy, and strong communication. Leaders with emotional intelligence, like Carlo Ancelotti, are able to read the room, build trust, and manage pressure calmly.
– Great leaders manage relationships with emotional balance and listen more than they speak.
3. Crisis Management
Football is full of volatility, poor form, injuries, media storms, and financial challenges. Resilient leaders remain composed during chaos. Think of how well-run clubs responded to COVID disruptions or financial scrutiny. Leaders who can make clear decisions under stress create stability when it is needed most.
– Resilient leaders prepare for crisis and respond with clarity, not panic.
4. Culture Builders
Culture is the invisible engine behind every successful team. Strong leaders shape culture through values, standards, and daily behaviours. At clubs like Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. and Brentford F.C., leadership decisions off the pitch created unity, clarity, and overachievement on the pitch.
– Culture is not what you say. It is what you tolerate and what you reinforce, every day.
5. Consistent Communicators
Football clubs are complex systems. Without clear communication, they fracture. Great leaders make communication a habit, not just a reaction to problems. Whether it is setting expectations with staff or aligning departments on strategy, consistency builds trust and performance.
– Leaders communicate early, clearly, and often. Silence creates confusion.
Great leadership in football is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity. Whether you are guiding a global brand or rebuilding a local club, your ability to lead with vision, emotional intelligence, resilience, and clarity will shape everything from results on the pitch to culture behind the scenes.
In the weeks ahead, this series will explore how football executives can lead more effectively in real, practical ways. If you are ready to reflect on your own leadership and take the next step, I invite you to connect. The journey starts here.