A Completely Different Game: My Leadership Playbook

by Emma Hayes, Michael Calvin (contributor)

How do you get the best out of people? What does it take to make a team thrive? From the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team and legendary coach of Chelsea FC comes a book of hard-won lessons for leading a team to success, on and off the field. “In soccer, we are at a tipping point of generational change. More leaders are showing their humanity because they must meet modern managerial expectations. If you are not a people person, an empathetic manager, you will eventually be spat out of the system. Lasting success is built on teamwork.” – Emma Hayes Few places will test your leadership skills more than the global soccer stage. As the head coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team and former longtime coach of Chelsea FC Women with 14 major trophies under her belt, Emma Hayes has dealt with it making split-second strategy decisions with millions of people watching, uniting her team with only four minutes in the locker room to turn a sure-loss into a sure-win, and intensively managing the care and training of her players so they become the best they can be. How does she do that? By leading with care, empathy, and respect for the people on the field. In TITLE TK, Hayes shares her boots-on-the-ground approach for leading any team to success. Beginning with her upbringing in Camden, working with her father at the Jubilee Market Hall in Covent Garden and playing on her first soccer team, to her move across the Atlantic to one of the biggest soccer teams in the world, Hayes recounts all the hard-won lessons in between, such Why knowing your team members – and what makes them tick – is crucial to managing effectively. How your organizational values become decision-making toolS, and how to rally your team around them, too. What motherhood taught Hayes about leadership, and how she became more impactful as a coach as a result. How to leverage your position as a force for good, drawing on Hayes’s work to further women’s healthcare in sports, as well as her own health issues. Whether you’re in the locker room, in the boardroom, or in a cubicle, teamwork is the bedrock of success. This book will help you lead with heart, strength, and authenticity, no matter what challenge you’re facing.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Memoir

288 pages, Hardcover

Published July 23, 2024

Reviews

[Fay Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight into Emma and what it really takes to be a top class manager. Hated the Americanised English spelling, but that could be because I got the wrong version.

[Judethmc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes it's about football but it's also about so much more in terms of leadership and the way to leave your life true to yourself. Most of the way through I was making a mental list of all the people who would be getting a copy for birthdays or Christmas. And for the record Arsenal are the only team !

[Royalkeister · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know a lot of people that are going to receive this book from me for Christmas. Timely life lessons from a soccer/football context. We all know Emma is a legend. Now we know why.

[Steve Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have selected " A Completely Different Game" as Stevo's Business Book of the Week for the week of 8/11, as it stands heads above other recently published books on this topic.

[Trintje · Rating 3 out of 5]

This kind of read like it was written by ChatGPT but Emma Hayes is a legend so still a solid 3 star read.

[Jessica Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this! I had never had occasion to think about any differences between coaching men vs. women. The science about how the menstrual cycle affects athletic performance and vulnerability to injury was not surprising but was nonetheless eye-opening to me. Emma Hayes seems thoughtful and warm and down-to-earth while also pretty cutthroat and matter-of-fact so it makes complete sense why she is so highly valued and sought after as a coach.

[Hannah Hartnett · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Emma Hayes, Chelsea, and the USWNT. I would have loved to read about her life/experience with those teams, but not her leadership principles. I guess I mistakenly took this for a memoir. The organization was arbitrary and it was clearly written by someone else, her voice didn’t shine through. Some good anecdotes but not nearly enough

[Kelly Colabianchi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very thought-provoking! It took me a long time to read though because it was so much information. Felt like a lecture in a way or a reading I would have done for a college course. I read a little bit each night. Great read for anyone in any leadership role.

[Cybbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m such a sucker for all things sports. We are so lucky to have Emma Hayes leading the USWNT. This book was packed with loud truths that Emma makes so relatable. I’m grateful she shared this part of her story with us.

[Graciela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book. I was looking for the behind the scenes in women´s football and there is plenty, also of course about the work of a coach. Well written.

[Kara Stepp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good stories

This book has some really interesting stories and insights, but the writing is choppy and the sudden change in topics disorienting.

[Holly Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about Emma’s experiences and management strategies. It was a great insight into her world and the future of women in football.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed.

[Carrie Craft Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am stingy with my 5-star reviews. I really enjoyed this thorough and clear-headed leadership advice.

[Becky Rowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly a great leader. Style of the book accident chopping but the messaging was spot on. Emma is very much a girls girl who lives in a place of abundance.

[TheMothmanReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pressure is a privilege.

[Amanda Cadorette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I genuinely love Emma Hayes and think she is such a force in the soccer world (women’s and men’s). However, I do not think this book was written very well.

[Quinn Torgerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

very very good. didn’t know what to expect, but this was solid.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly useful insights- particularly for women beginning leadership roles.

[Lidia Rodin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book by Emma Hayes. I thought it was an interesting look into her mind as a manager and also as a person. She cares about the “right” things when it comes to football, and people in general. This book really humanizes her, and makes you look past some of the noise that surrounds her.

As a young coach I always like to get my hands on books that managers and coaches have written and if you’re looking for something that you can pull ideas from, this is a book for you.

[Travis Wyant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leadership from a woman’s perspective with a focus on coaching women. Something my reading has lacked significantly. I loved the insights and directness from Emma, she doesn’t mince words. Not much on her tactics, but a ton on how she builds and organization and how she balances Emma the person and Emma the coach.