Part 1 in the “From the Touchline” series
You don’t need the ball to change the game.
The most effective leaders, Chairs, NEDs, Portfolio Managers, and often CEOs, aren’t the ones barking from the centre circle. They’re the ones shaping performance from the edge.
This is leadership from the touchline. It’s about guiding the direction, adjusting the tempo, and influencing the outcome — without ever stepping onto the pitch. And while it sounds subtle, it’s anything but passive.
Too often, influence is mistaken for interference. Presence is confused with control. But the leaders who truly drive value know how to read the field, trust the players, and only step in when it matters.
What Does It Mean to Lead From the Touchline?
Leading from the touchline is not a metaphor for distance. It’s a mindset for intentionality. It’s for those who understand their role is to shape, not steer, to provide clarity, not commands.
In practice, this means:
- Guiding rhythm, not micromanaging moves
- Providing structure without strangling autonomy
- Reading the game, not just watching the scoreboard
- Knowing when to speak, and when silence adds more value
It’s not about disengagement. It’s about intelligent restraint. Timing. Perspective. And trust.
Why It Matters More Than Ever
Modern businesses are faster, more complex, and often overloaded with noise. The temptation for leaders, especially those in non-exec or oversight roles, is to jump in, intervene, “add value” at every turn. But often, that value-add becomes value dilution.
In high-performance environments, teams don’t need more voices. They need clear signals. They need space to perform. And they need leaders who create that space while maintaining alignment.
Touchline leadership keeps the organisation pointed in the right direction while resisting the urge to meddle in every play. That restraint is powerful.
The Legacy of von Moltke: Clarity of Intent, Not Control of Action
Over 150 years ago, Prussian General Helmuth von Moltke pioneered an approach to leadership that today’s boardrooms could learn from. He recognised that in the chaos of war, detailed instructions quickly became useless. Instead, what mattered was clear intent, a shared understanding of what needed to be achieved and why, and then giving trusted subordinates the freedom to determine how to do it.
This became the foundation of Auftragstaktik, a philosophy of mission command that empowered teams to adapt in real time without waiting for further instruction.
Stephen Bungay, in The Art of Action, masterfully translates this philosophy into modern leadership. His core insight? The gap between plans and outcomes isn’t closed by more instructions, it’s closed by:
- Clarity of intent
- Trust in execution
- Active feedback loops
This is the blueprint for touchline leadership.
You don’t need to know every detail. You need to make sure your team knows the objective, understands why it matters, and trusts that you’ve got their back if things change. You define the “what” and the “why”, and let the “how” emerge.
Learning It First-Hand: From Interim to Chair
I didn’t learn this philosophy in a classroom, I learned it in role, repeatedly.
As a professional interim, I came to understand that if I became the driving force in a business, I’d only create another problem the day I left. That’s the curse of the ‘heroic interim’, solving everything personally, only to leave a vacuum behind.
The better path was always to build rhythm, decision-making clarity, and capability in the team. My job wasn’t to become the engine, it was to build the platform.
And as I’ve taken on Chair roles, that lesson has stayed with me. The ability to guide outcomes without disrupting the flow is more vital than ever. The temptation to get involved never fully disappears, but the discipline to hold your position is what sets great strategic leaders apart.
What the Best Touchline Leaders Do Differently
The best strategic leaders don’t drift in and out of the action. They:
- Prepare the ground well – clarity of mission, priorities, and rhythm
- Check the temperature often – not just performance data, but leadership signals
- Maintain altitude – avoiding the trap of reactive noise
- Only step in with intent – when the moment is pivotal, or the risk is structural
They don’t seek attention. They earn trust. They don’t dominate meetings. They ask the question that shifts the entire room. And when things wobble, they’re calm, because they’ve stayed clear-headed the whole time.
A Quiet Edge With a Big Impact
Touchline leadership doesn’t make headlines. It doesn’t shout. But it changes results. It stabilises teams. It makes better decisions possible. And when paired with rhythm and routine, it turns strategy into movement.
If you’re guiding from the boardroom, shaping a portfolio, or leading a team without holding the reins directly, this is your edge.
And over the next few weeks, I’ll be unpacking it in depth.
Follow the full series: From the Touchline. And if this resonates, consider subscribing to the Touchline Coach newsletter for sharper insight, leadership frameworks, and real-world strategy tools.
The Touchline Coach is where strategy meets performance. For those who shape direction, influence outcomes, and lead from the edge, not the centre.
