Gareth’s EQ makes him a top leader

GARETH SOUTHGATE has become one of England’s finest managers not because of his tactical nous, but because of his emotional intelligence.

That is the verdict of former Tottenham, Norwich and Northern Ireland player turned performance psychologist Paul Mcveigh.

“One of the first traits that has made Gareth Southgate such a good leader for England is his emotional intelligence,” said Mcveigh.

“The phrase emotional intelligence was coined back in the Nineties by Daniel Goleman and, essentially, what he researched was that people who are the top leaders, the people who run the best teams and the biggest organisations, it’s not about their IQ, it’s about their emotional intelligence, or EQ, and this is based on their people skills. So even when Gareth used to kick me all over Villa Park, he wasn’t a ranter and raver, he wasn’t shouting and screaming.

“But he was very good at doing his job and he had this authority, which we see now in his interviews and all the things he has done in his coaching career.

“He leads because he understands people, and one of the greatest traits and characteristics that emotional intelligence purports is empathy.

“That’s how Gareth works and it’s why he has totally transformed the whole English football set-up.

“It’s probably much more to do with his emotional intelligence than his tactical nous.

“You realise how important fans and other stakeholders within a club, organisation or association are because they are emotionally involved in the whole process.

“The more you can get all those people bought into it, that’s when people are all pulling in the same direction. That’s where Gareth is like a genius, because he has done that and very few people before him have managed to bring everyone together.”