I wrote last week about the potential dangers of successful leaders returning to their old stomping grounds, and questioned the impact that it could have on the workplace – on the one hand it could reinstall the passion and fire that was once there, but on the other it could totally undermine the leadership currently in place.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, my point was that every organisation is different, and so too are the people that make up those organisations. ‘King’ Kenny Dalglish’s return to Anfield a few months ago is the perfect example of where it has worked, despite many people wondering whether it was a safe and sideways step for the club.

Liverpool is a club with great pride and tradition, and Kenny Dalglish has played a huge role in that success over the years. Could he do it again? Yes.

And what is interesting is that it’s not been a case of dragging Liverpool back to the 80’s style of football that allowed them so much success, what has made the difference and put the ‘king’ firmly back in front of Kenny, is his love for the club. Watching his management style and his leadership you can feel the love he has for the club and his energy is such, that it flows through the team.

The danger of Dalglish pushing Liverpool back rather than forward was a real one, but we forgot just how much passion and drive he has to succeed, and more importantly, just how much love he has for the club.

We talk all the time about techniques to develop leaders all throughout organisations, and at the very core of our one-day Heart of Leadership intervention is bringing love and passion back into the workplace – we’ve seen the effects at Liverpool, the club that has moved from 12th to fifth in one of the most competitive leagues in the world during a five month period. In every way possible, he has helped the underperforming players and non-believing fans at Liverpool rekindle the love for their team. It’s an awesome force.

James Pentreath
Leadership Development Programme