I saw the touring production of Dear England recently, the play about Gareth Southgate and the transformation of the England men’s football team, writes Charlotte Heath-Bullock. On the surface, it’s about football. In reality, it’s about leadership under pressure.

For decades, the England team carried a psychological burden: talented but brittle; hopeful but haunted. The “shirt” was heavy with history. Every penalty miss replayed endlessly. Every tournament exit framed as inevitability.

As manager, Southgate changed both tactics and the team's story through brilliant leadership.

I took from the performance three things that his leadership approach gets spot on:

1. Performance is emotional before it is technical

High-performing teams rarely lack capability. They lack freedom. Fear constricts performance. Fear of failure. Fear of criticism. Fear of being that person who gets it wrong.

Southgate introduced psychological safety into one of the most scrutinised environments in British sport. Players were encouraged to speak openly; failure was analysed and acknowledged, not buried.  

When people feel safe, they take better risks. They think more clearly and take ownership of outcomes.

In business, culture is the performance multiplier. You can have the best strategy in the world, but if your team is anxious, defensive or exhausted, you will never see their best work. Leadership sets that emotional climate.

2. Calm is contagious

Southgate is not a performative leader. He doesn’t dominate with ego or theatrics. He leads with steadiness because teams mirror the nervous system of their leader.

If you are reactive, they become anxious. If you are defensive, they become guarded. If you are calm, they become focused.

Under media scrutiny, public expectation and national pressure, Southgate modelled something rare: disciplined composure and 'empowering coaching' - an approach that shifted the culture of the team.

3. Leaders build identity, not just results

Football, like business, is addicted to short-term outcomes. Win and you’re a hero. Lose and the criticism begins. But Southgate’s tenure wasn’t only about reaching finals, it was about rebuilding belief in the game. He created a generation of players who didn’t look afraid of their own history.

His leadership wasn't transactional or reactive, he helped shape how people see themselves and what they believe is possible.

So, my most powerful takeaway from Dear England is this: that leadership is the art of changing how people respond to pressure.

You cannot remove scrutiny. You cannot eliminate risk. You cannot guarantee outcomes.

But you can shape the story your team carries into any arena - from a football stadium to a boardroom. So the question for any leader is simple: what story is your team living? And are you brave enough to rewrite it?