I’m loving Big Ange instead - Inside the Cultural Reinvention of Tottenham Hotspur

What matters more? Talent or culture?

Last week I read something wonderful about the changing culture of Tottenham Hotspur, I contacted the writer and it felt like it was worth putting out quickly.

Ange Postecoglou has been the manager of Spurs, Tottenham Hotspur, for around a hundred days. In that time he’s started something of a transformation. And I can tell that because the Spurs fans I know how have started smiling. Spurs have started the season well, currently sitting 2nd in the Premier League. But more than that the players seem to be happy and are playing exciting football.

There was a brilliant article by Charlie Ecceshare from The Athletic looking into the culture of the club under Ange, the article talked about how the mood of the club has been transformed. For anyone interested in the impact that cultural change can create it was a fascinating read, full of specifics and clear actions.

Aren’t all of us looking to change the mood of our jobs? I got in touch with Charlie and we talked about Postecoglou, culture and the impact that team mood has on results. 

Listen: Apple / Spotify / website

Further reading:

• What Ange Postecoglou changed at Spurs in his first 100 days: ‘The mood has been transformed’ (2nd link)

• Charlie writes about the oratory of Ange Postecoglou (2nd link)

• Fabulous interview with Gary Lineker

• Big Ange motivational speech

Does culture depend on elite communication?

What’s interesting about Ange Postecoglou is that he really saved his career by being incredible on TV.

In this he shares a lot in common with Jurgen Klopp, who has said his time as a TV pundit saved his career. In these cases the ability to bring clarity of perspective into a human tone is what marks an elite leader. The clubs who hired Postecoglou and Klopp saw that these leaders had something special to the way they talked.

Further listening:

• Inside Klopp's early days at Liverpool

• A close look at Barcelona's culture

• The culture of the All Blacks

• Reinventing the culture of the England team with Gareth Southgate

• The BBC Football Daily last month asked the question ‘what’s more important culture or talent?’