Yellow Cards, Boardrooms, and Identity: What Football Teaches Us About Leading Change

Yellow Cards, Boardrooms, and Identity: What Football Teaches Us About Leading Change

I’ve always found football a useful metaphor for leadership and change. Not just because of tactics or team selection, but because of how teams choose to play — and what that says about their identity.

Take teams that are happy to pick up yellow cards. Some managers — and their boards — are comfortable with what’s called “professional fouls.” They play on the edge, accept controlled aggression, and see disruption as part of the strategy. Others expect clean, precise, elegant football — zero cards, maximum finesse. Same goal. Very different way of getting there.

I was reminded of this recently during a session with the South African Springboks’ coaching staff. Their philosophy? Controlled aggression — tough, disciplined, right up to the limit of what’s allowed, but no further. It wasn’t just about what they did on the pitch, but how they did it — a conscious cultural choice rooted in identity.

And that’s the crux of effective leadership in projects and organizations.

It’s Not Just What You Do, It’s How You Do It

In any team — whether in sport, business, or government — success depends on two things:

1. What you’re trying to achieve (the tactics, targets, and deliverables)
2. How you’re choosing to achieve it (the tone, culture, and behaviours)

Both matter. You can have world-class plans and still fail if your style alienates your stakeholders. Or you can have great team spirit but no shared sense of direction. Real leadership is about managing both the what and the how — up, down, and across the organization.

Managing Multiple Audiences: Board, Team, and Supporters

The manager of a football club has to do more than lead a team. They must:

Keep the board happy (results, reputation, ROI)
Motivate the team (cohesion, belief, performance)
Satisfy the supporters (identity, emotion, values)

That’s three sets of expectations — and three versions of success. The same is true for project and business leaders. Managing upwards to sponsors and shareholders, managing downwards to delivery teams, and managing outwards to customers, media, or regulators.

To succeed, you can’t wear three masks. You need alignment. If you’re bold and aggressive with media and marketing but cautious and risk-averse in delivery, you’ll lose credibility. If your board believes in steady progress but your teams are incentivized to “move fast and break things,” you’ll breed friction and burnout.

Identity is More Than Culture

Culture is often defined as “how we do things around here.” But I’d argue that what we’re really talking about is identity — who we are and how we are seen.

Are we disruptors or diplomats?
Are we elegant tacticians or brutal enforcers?
Are we a team that plays to the rules or stretches them?

Understanding this matters. Because two organizations can attempt the same transformation and use the same tools — but deliver it very differently based on identity and values. There is no universal playbook — just the right one for your team.

Takeaways for Leaders

1. Get consensus not just on the what but also the how
2. Align internal delivery and external messaging — identity matters
3. Manage across stakeholder levels — board, team, and “supporters”
4. Choose your cultural style intentionally — be honest about your playing style
5. Know your boundaries — every yellow card is a strategic choice

Final Thought

Great leadership, like great football, isn’t just about possession or passing accuracy — it’s about having a clear identity, managing multiple expectations, and playing your chosen game with clarity and conviction.

So next time you plan a project or lead a change initiative, ask yourself:

Are we the kind of team that accepts yellow cards?

And if so — are we all agreed on why?