“If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here anymore.” – 4 Harsh Realities for Leaders

A Sobering Statement

On Sunday, England begins the knockout stage of the Euro 2024 Tournament against Slovakia.  Heading into the competition, their manager Gareth Southgate said in this interview,  “If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here anymore.  Then it might be the last chance. I think about half of the national coaches leave after a tournament – that’s the nature of international football.  I’ve been here for almost eight years now and we’ve come close.  So I know that you can’t keep standing in front of the public and saying: ‘Please do a little more’, because at some point people will lose faith in your message.  If we want to be a big team and I want to be a top coach, then you have to deliver in the big moments.”

4 Harsh Realities for Leaders

From Southgate’s comments, we learn the following four harsh realities for leaders.  First is the lesson followed by his supporting comments.

1. Leaders who don’t produce positive results are eventually replaced. – “If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here anymore.  Then it might be the last chance.”
2. All leadership is temporary.  Eventually all of us will be replaced and someone else will be sitting in our seat. – “I think about half of the national coaches leave after a tournament – that’s the nature of international football.”  And every industry for that matter.
3. People will only accept excuses for so long. – “I’ve been here for almost eight years now and we’ve come close.  So I know that you can’t keep standing in front of the public and saying: ‘Please do a little more’, because at some point people will lose faith in your message.”
4. What makes someone a big-time leader is delivering in big moments. – “If we want to be a big team and I want to be a top coach, then you have to deliver in the big moments.”

I’m rooting for England but if they lose, Southgate will likely be removed as the team’s leader – just like the rest of us if we do not produce positive results.

My latest eBook is available for download.  The Top 65 Leadership Quotes Of 2022 Part 1 is a resource every leader should have.  Great quotes bring clarity and put into words who we intuitively feel as leaders.  They give us wisdom and insights which advance the mission and vision of our organizations.  This eBook includes thoughts and insights from leaders like Warren Buffett, Nick Saban, James Clear, Dawn Staley, Jurgen Klopp, Jerry Seinfeld, and even Ted Lasso.  This resource will take you about 10 minutes to read but a lifetime to apply.  You will want to stop and ponder the implications of each quote.  Click HERE or on the image provided for immediate download!