During the recently concluded second edition of the Betway SA20 cricket tournament, for which Zoho was a tournament sponsor, a locker room speech by Sunrisers Eastern Cape coach Adrian Birrell went viral. In it, he implored the players on his squad to learn the names of the food servers, caterers, and all the other ancillary staff who are so vital to the success of a top-level professional sports team.
“You’re flipping competitive on that field,” he told the players, “but you’re actually nice people off the field; otherwise, I don’t want you on my team.”
In a similar vein, former Manchester United player Gary Neville, spoke in 2022 about an incident during his playing career when his captain, Roy Keane, went to manager Sir Alex Ferguson because not enough players were signing the balls that went to charity, which was upsetting the club’s charity liaison officer, Wendy Rennsion.
“Roy went upstairs and said to Sir Alex [Ferguson] it’s an absolute disgrace this has happened for a couple of weeks now,” Neville told the CEO Podcast. “He killed us. He absolutely killed us. The lack of respect to walk past Wendy, who was there to get the charity balls signed and not sign them for her, for him, was a dereliction of duty and a lack of respect. It’s not what you do.”
Both of these incidents show how true leadership in the sporting arena extends beyond the field (something South Africans are also familiar with through Springbok captain Siya Kolisi). This doesn’t just apply to the sporting field. It also applies to business. If you want to be a leader in the office, you have to be one outside of it too.
Setting the example
What Birrell and Keane did in each of their respective cases was demonstrate that they weren’t just there to be leaders for their own players but for the entire organisation and beyond. Birrel already knew the names of the people he implored his players to learn. Keane, meanwhile, didn’t go to his manager just because players were skipping out on signing balls, but because their doing so was upsetting someone who was an integral part of the organisation.
In doing so, they were demonstrating empathy, something that’s key to good business leadership, too. According to a US survey by consulting firm EY, 86% of employees believe that empathetic leadership boosts morale, while 87% of employees say empathy is essential for fostering inclusivity. Additionally, it can inspire positive change within the workforce, mutual respect between employees and leadership, increased productivity, and reduced employee turnover.
Respect and empathy beyond the office
When it comes to respecting extended workforces like housekeeping and security teams, it’s essential that business leaders set a respectful and empathetic example, particularly when they have employees with them. Moreover, business leaders can set a positive example outside of the working environment also. By staying active, nurturing familial and friendship bonds, volunteering, and doing other activities associated with a healthy work-life balance, they can help employees feel safe to do the same.
Moreover, demonstrating this kind of leadership allows business leaders to act as ambassadors for the communities they live and work in. This not only buys goodwill towards the organisation but can also help forge beneficial connections and partnerships.
A different kind of winning
To understand what kind of effect good leaders can have for a business, look at the goodwill that the Springboks have built by having a leadership group that doesn’t just drive excellence on the field but off it too. The same is true, in an emerging sense at least, for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who have built a winning culture and one of the more dedicated fan bases in the Betway SA20.
By emphasising a culture of leadership that extends beyond the confines of the business, organisations can reap similar benefits. Not only will they have more loyal and motivated employees, but they’ll also have the respect of customers, collaborators, and even competitors.
