The leadership book has long been a staple of the management consulting profession. But professional services stalwarts can now expect competition from a surprising new source: former England Manager Gareth Southgate.
After a certain number of years in the industry, many consultants get an urge to share their expertise with a new audience – either by striking out on their own by launching a new firm, or publishing a written guide to top leadership. Covering the megatrends transforming the CEO role, to the variables at play in decision-making, developing top skills and leveraging scientific secrets, the leadership guidebook has long been a staple of the consulting sector.
But advisors may be alarmed to hear that their next book will have some heaviweight competition, when it comes to the next Financial Times Business Book of the Year contest. Former England Men’s Manager Gareth Southgate has announced that he will be publishing his own book on the art of leadership in October 2025.
‘Dear England: Lessons on Leadership’ – named after a famous letter penned by the ex-Three Lions coach to the country calling for tolerance and respect ahead of the delayed Euro 2020 campaign – will “transcend football”, to offer advice on resilience and performance for individuals and organisations. The text will be published by Century – an imprint of Penguin Random House – and will reflect on moments that shaped his leadership style, “principles that defined his decisions, and the resilience that enabled him to perform under the most intense public scrutiny”, according to the publisher.
While Southgate’s management style was regularly criticised by pundits and fans alike, his tenure ultimately delivered the longest period of success in the history of the England Men’s team. In his eight years in charge, the former Aston Villa and Middlesbrough defender led his players to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, and the final of the European Championships hosted in 2021 and 2024.
This success was forged amid adversity. Southgate’s tenure began with low expectations, following the poor performance of England at the 2016 Euros, and the tumultuous one-game reign of predecessor Sam Allardyce. His ability to empower his players to deliver on the pitch in spite of that has already seen him tapped by the business world for advice – and Southgate recently became a visiting lecturer at Harvard Business School.
Commenting on the announcement of his upcoming book, Southgate said, “Coaching top players and playing against some of the best teams in the world pushed me to operate at the highest level in football. Rather than write a memoir of those times I decided to share my experiences in a different way, through the lens of leadership which I hope will provide lessons for anyone who wants to discover their own authentic leadership style.”