Identity leadership in football: How coaches and team captains can foster team identification and psychological safety
My recent MSc dissertation research explored the impact of identity leadership on psychological safety in footballers. The study sought to understand how football coaches and team captains can create a sense of "we" and "us" within their teams, ultimately contributing to a safer and more cohesive team environment.
What is Identity Leadership?
Identity leadership is a leadership style that emphasises the shared identity of a group. Leaders who engage in identity leadership are perceived as "one of us" and are seen to champion the interests of the group. They work to build a strong sense of "we" and "us" within the team, creating a shared reality that all members can buy into.
The social identity approach to leadership, from which identity leadership stems, suggests that effective leaders need to be perceived as embodying and promoting the shared identity of the group they lead. This approach is operationalised into four key dimensions:
Prototypicality: The leader is seen as a representative member of the group.
Advancement: The leader prioritises the group's interests over personal agendas.
Entrepreneurship: The leader actively shapes and defines the meaning of "we" and "us" for the group.
Impresarioship: The leader creates opportunities for group members to experience and live out their shared identity.
Why is Identity Leadership Important in Football?
Leadership in sport is most effective when it is shared rather than hierarchical. In football, this means that both the coach and the team captain play vital roles in shaping the team's identity and culture.
My research demonstrated that coaches and team captains who engage in identity leadership significantly contribute to increasing their players' team identification. This finding supports previous research highlighting the positive influence of identity leadership on team identification.
Team identification is crucial because it leads to several positive outcomes for footballers, including:
Increased feelings of belonging and connection
Improved motivation and effort
Enhanced cooperation and teamwork
Reduced antisocial behavior
The Link Between Team Identification and Psychological Safety
Psychological safety refers to the shared belief within a team that it is safe to take interpersonal risks, such as admitting mistakes, asking for help, or expressing dissenting opinions. A psychologically safe environment allows players to feel comfortable being themselves, expressing vulnerability, and learning from their experiences without fear of negative consequences.
My research confirmed a statistically significant link between team identification and psychological safety in footballers. Players who strongly identify with their team are more likely to perceive their team environment as psychologically safe. This connection likely stems from the feeling of shared identity and understanding that comes with strong team identification. When players feel like they belong and are accepted for who they are, they are more likely to feel comfortable taking interpersonal risks.
Does Team Identification Mediate the Relationship Between Identity Leadership and Psychological Safety?
While my study found direct relationships between identity leadership, team identification, and psychological safety, it did not establish team identification as a mediator in the relationship between identity leadership and psychological safety. This means that while identity leadership promotes both team identification and psychological safety, the effect of identity leadership on psychological safety is not solely dependent on the level of team identification. Other factors may be at play in this complex relationship.
Practical Implications for Coaches and Team Captains
Despite the lack of a mediation effect, the findings of my study still offer valuable insights for coaches and team captains:
Coaches and team captains should actively engage in identity leadership. By embodying the team's values, prioritising the team's interests, and creating opportunities for shared experiences, leaders can foster a strong sense of shared identity and belonging within their teams.
Leadership development programmes should incorporate training on the four dimensions of identity leadership. Equipping coaches and captains with the knowledge and skills to effectively enact identity leadership can have a profound impact on team dynamics and individual well-being.
Focus on building a shared leadership structure. Recognising and empowering informal leaders within the team can further strengthen the sense of "we" and "us" and enhance the effectiveness of leadership efforts.
Future Research Directions
My study has opened up several avenues for future research:
Exploring the impact of each dimension of identity leadership on psychological safety: Examining the unique contributions of prototypicality, advancement, entrepreneurship, and impresarioship can provide a more nuanced understanding of how identity leadership operates.
Investigating the influence of informal athlete leaders on team identification and psychological safety: Recognising the role of informal leaders and understanding how they contribute to team dynamics can enhance leadership development strategies.
Conducting longitudinal studies to establish causal relationships between identity leadership, team identification, and psychological safety: This will allow for a deeper understanding of the processes involved and provide stronger evidence for the effectiveness of identity leadership interventions.
By continuing to explore the dynamics of identity leadership in football, we can help create team environments that are both successful and psychologically healthy for all members.
