Edge: Leadership Secrets from Footballs’s Top Thinkers. Ben Lyttleton

for ÖFK’s 2017 cultural project: an investigation into the Sami culture, to culminate in an exhibition comprising photo, film, crafts, music, song and speech. Known in English as Laplanders, the indigenous Sami live in the Arctic area of Sápmi, which encompasses parts of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The whole club has learned about the Sami’s language, faith and narrative tradition, with help from Maxida Märak, a hip-hop artist, activist and Sami expert. One lesson was about reindeer husbandry and, in the absence of a real reindeer, Potter wore fake horns and challenged striker Alhaji Gero to lasso him. So he did.

      Potter’s studies at the Open University, Hull and Leeds reinforced his interest in self-reflection and forced him to think about what kind of leader he wanted to be. He did not want to repeat the patterns he saw from his own playing career. So, what type of leader is he? ‘I value people and I value relationships and I am as authentic as I can be. My job is to understand the person first and foremost, and help them improve. For me, this role is not about winning matches or winning leagues, it’s simply about whether you can affect someone’s life in a positive way.’

      Potter is convinced the cultural projects can work in another environment, though he warned against going from doing nothing to performing Swan Lake. ‘It was a gradual process,’ he says. ‘But the fundamentals are the same across industries: if you have people who are very good at doing something, whatever that is, and you want to explore a new way to challenge them, or develop the team, or find out about themselves, this is a way to do it. Lots of professional life is about coping with the struggles and attitude to that. In football it’s a misplaced pass or a lost game – or an angry fan. In another environment it might be a grumpy client or a difficult moment. But being comfortable in uncomfortable situations is a way of teaching people in a new way.’

      The cultural work is not just crystallised into the performances. Kindberg sees the whole process as one of self-improvement. ‘We want to show that our football is more than football. We are happy, we are open, we are braver than the normal standards, and we use this to challenge people by taking them out of their comfort zone.’

      This is where Wahlén comes in again. As well as collaborating with Kindberg on the cultural projects, she organises regular workshops for the team. The players are encouraged to make emotional connections with each other. She remembers the conversations that followed the Privilege Walk, when the whole squad stood in a line in the middle of the room and were asked a series of questions:

       If you are a white male take one step forward.

       If there have been times in your life when you skipped a meal because there was no food in the house take one step backward.

       If you have visible or invisible disabilities take one step backward.

       If you attended school with people you felt were like yourself take one step forward.

       If you grew up in an urban setting take one step backward.

       If your family had health insurance take one step forward.

       If you feel good about how your identified culture is portrayed by the media take one step forward.

       If you have been the victim of physical violence based on your gender, ethnicity, age or sexual orientation take one step backward.

       If you have ever felt passed over for an employment position based on your gender, ethnicity, age or sexual orientation take one step backward.

       If English is your first language take one step forward.

       If you have been divorced or impacted by divorce take one step backward.

       If you came from a supportive family environment take one step forward.

       If you have completed high school take one step forward.

       If you were able to complete college take one step forward.

       If you took out loans for your education take one step backward.

       If you attended private school take one step forward.

       If you have ever felt unsafe walking alone at night take one step backward.

      Some players ended up at the back of the room, while others were now right at the front. One player had taken so many steps forward, he was up against the wall. He had never realised how much privilege he had, compared to his team-mates. ‘It was such an interesting way of making us all aware of who we are,’ says Wahlén. ‘It was an intense session, but we were able to openly discuss why and how these issues had affected our lives.’

      Wahlén admitted that she had preconceptions that footballers can only play football; she realised the players had the same assumptions of themselves. ‘They only see themselves as footballers, but they are not; they are sons, fathers, husbands; they are emotionally aware, socially responsible and confronting their own biases.’ They are also regularly having conversations that Wahlén never imagined. How does music move you? What makes dance, dance? What is the meaning of art? How does this photograph make you feel?

      The players have started their own voluntary book group, and not a single sporting title has been chosen. Instead, more heavyweight subjects are being tackled, such as identity, race and love (Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adache18); the Vietnam War (The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien); friendship across generations (The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood); and our role in the world (Ishmael by Daniel Quinn).

      The players tell Wahlén that they like to read a lot now because everyone else is. She hears them talking about books and finds their conversations more fascinating than those of the cultural elite she often works with in Stockholm. ‘The players don’t have any literary truths, so they interpret what they read with authentic openness,’ she says. ‘It’s much more interesting for me.’

      The fans have picked up on the players’ behaviour. At a time when fan violence is not uncommon in Sweden, ÖFK supporters have responded to their club’s efforts and become socially responsible. At the last home game of the 2016 season, there was a Gay Pride flag in the stands to mark ÖFK’s certification as an LGBT supporter, the first of its kind in Swedish football.19 There is a closeness with the fans, who have taken a lead from the club and embraced their differences.

      At the start of the 2016 season, Kindberg wrote an open letter to the fans. I have not seen a mission statement quite like it. ‘Together with you, we want to be role models!’ he wrote. ‘Östersunds Fotballklub, ÖFK, is a club with clear values. We go our own way. Our belief is that our players perform better both individually and as a team if they are offered an environment that is challenging and stimulating across many human levels … ÖFK stands for openness, diversity, and tolerance. We stand for sincerity and honesty. We will always be trustworthy and professional. We want to create a new kind of football culture. We want to be good role models. We propose that all ÖFK supporters endorse these five simple rules of conduct:

      1 The stadium is a place for everyone. We behave in a way so every visitor, from a small child to a 100-year-old, feels safe and welcome.

      2 We may have opinions about a player but we never use derogatory or offensive words.

      3 The players and supporters of our opponents are our friends. We do not boo them when they come onto the pitch. We do not boo when they do something good. In general, we boo as little as possible.

      4 We may have views about the referee, but we never use derogatory or offensive words.

      5 We always stay away from violence.

      We are ÖFK. We go our own way!’

      In return, the fans are inventive