Sarina Wiegman’s Lessons in Leadership
⚽️ “Every player has their own story and their own journey.”
England have just won the Euros for the second time in a row. Football has come home, again. Even if football isn’t your jam, there’s something to take away here.
Yes, the team is extraordinary. Lucy Bronze played the entire tournament with a
broken tibia. The match was won on a penalty shot taken by Chloe Kelly showing zero signs of pressure. Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has undergone countless procedures for issues with depth perception.
But you know I want to talk about the coach, Sarina Wiegman.
Weigman is the first manager to reach 5 major tournament finals in a row, ever. The achievements keep coming, and while I am tempted to talk about how I wish she was better recognised for them, and how I think she should coach the men’s team, too, for now I want to explore her coaching style.
A few key characteristics come up consistently when she, or people who have
worked with her, are interviewed:
→ Leveraging the strength of difference
“Every player has their own story and their own journey.” Wiegman recognises the individual value each player brings. She has players in the same position with different strengths, and she’s not afraid to use those talents based on the
challenge ahead.
→ Togetherness
You’d be hard-pressed to find an interview where she doesn’t mention it. She
consistently refers to every player and their capacity to turn up for the team.
→ Belief
She cultivates strong mental strength, self-belief, and tenacity. The England team have been knocked, but they get up and keep fighting: “I have belief in her but she had belief in herself, that’s the most important thing.”
→ Humility
“I’m grateful that I am a part of this team.” She always brings the spotlight back
to the team and staff, and easily credits her assistants.
→ Vision, communication and consistency
“You can have clarity but things change, and you have to communicate that
constantly.” She’s known as a great communicator: clear, honest, and not afraid
of difficult conversations, but never blunt. "No matter what Sarina says, you listen."
→ Empathy
She’s been described as a “mum” to the team. Keira Walsh has said, "She's
probably one of the best managers I've played for in terms of trying to make
everyone feel loved. Beth Mead adds, “She’s very protective over us. She really cares about the human side.”
→ Calm
"Another thing that you notice is how calm she is. It makes a massive difference in the 95th minute when you're losing 1-0."
→ Enjoyment
She never fails to communicate the message to enjoy the moments created as a
team.
All of this comes together to form an unstoppable bond of trust, and the conditions for victory.
What do you think about this list? Would you add anything? Are these traits you
bring to your team? How do you develop and deploy them?