114. What Football Tells Us About Leading with Polly Bancroft

This week Julia is joined by Polly, a footballer and now an executive in the world of football to talk to us about the importance of 'losing well'. As a sportsperson and a leader she shares how she consciously worked to maintain a balanced understanding of winning and losing, reminding herself to never go too high with the highs or too low with the lows. Not only has this allowed her to be a reliable teammate and leader, but it has also enabled her to bounce back from each loss and learn from them. She reminds us to keep our eye on the ball - to focus on the lessons learnt, rather than getting lost in the outcome itself.About the Guest: Polly Bancroft is the Head of Women's Football at Manchester United. She oversees the strategic direction, operations, and performance of the women's first team and academy. Polly has over 10 years of experience in executive roles in five distinct high-profile UK and European football organisations. She also serves as a Technical Committee member at the Association of Sporting Directors and a former Trustee at Albion in the Community.