how we travelled to games and were paid shows then and now we are not there yet. This has led to the Lionesses talking about their commercial worth and paying women more generally and continuing to fight for this.”
INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE & PERSONAL GROWTH Staying true to her values has defined key moments of Scott’s career and her leadership. It has also helped to determine her legacy, team culture and performance. The end of her playing career and captaincy came in 2018 after a season that had seen Alex largely on the bench. A farewell match was the last
chance for her to make the starting line-up, but this did not sit well with Alex. “I hadn’t played much that season and then I found myself taking the place of someone who was in better form than me.” She made the tough decision to take herself out of the equation, being more mindful of the message she wanted to send to the team. Her experience at the Women’s
Professional Soccer League in the US and the squad’s mentality at her team in Boston were important in this respect. The transition to professional football in America aged 23 meant leaving Arsenal for the first time in 2009 (she had three spells with the club), stepping out of her comfort zone and “pitting [her] self against the best”. “I loved my time in America.
It made me grow as a human and it was an awesome environment to be in. What I learnt most from the experience is that I love the mentality of football in America. They want to be the best and they are unapologetic about it. I was drafted into Boston and I wanted to be the best right-back player in the world.” But the best right-back in the
world, Heather Mitts, was also in the Boston squad. Scott eventually realised her ambition. But this was not before the team culture of
supporting and coaching each other to be the best they could be saw Heather Mitts help Alex Scott to achieve her aim. “I was able to do the same with
Lucy Bronze,” said Scott. “I played with fear for my place on the team every time I played for England. I was scared for my shirt, so it was my turn then to help Lucy become the best in the world as Heather had done for me.”
GROWTH MINDSET Alex Scott firmly believes that world- class performances depend on mindset as well as skills, teamwork and professionalism. “Sometimes our mindsets can hold us back. It’s easy to ask, ‘what if it doesn’t work?’ Why not ask, ‘what if it does work?’ I had the offer of a contract for Arsenal, but I knew I wanted to help women’s sports development and on a new platform, so I knew that riskier option was one that I had to fight for.” Knowing what you bring and
add to the team is critical for backing and believing in yourself. “I’m big into self-development and imposter syndrome is a huge thing for me in that I’ve learnt that I don’t ever want to lose it. The moment I feel entitled when I walk into a room is the moment I lose it on this journey from playing in a football cage in east London to sitting next to Taylor Swift and Bono on a sofa on the ‘Graham Norton Show’. “If I’m going to do something,
I’m always going to do it in the right way,” she continued. This includes transitioning to a career in TV after a highly successful football career by studying for a degree in professional sports writing and broadcasting. “It’s about believing in yourself.” Her advice for people wanting
to change career is to “go and find those people who have already made that transition” and learn as much as you can about all aspects of what it is you want to do, which helps you understand other people’s roles and
where your role fits in. “I also knew that getting into TV
and being one of very few women, I didn’t want to be on my own, so I always try to leave the door open to others behind me. Now there is a whole raft of former sportswomen who are now presenters.” For Scott, this focus on bringing
others with you means being generous with your contacts and putting people in contact with each other where it is mutually beneficial. It also means letting your work do the talking while developing yourself and excelling. This is especially helpful in situations where people look to detract; something Alex Scott’s high profile has seen her contend with. “I’ve always known I represent
more than myself,” she says. “It’s much bigger. It’s about women in society and rising above unfair or negative comments. I have a platform and it’s about finding ways I can deliver my message.”
“ I also knew that getting into TV and being one of very few women, I didn’t want to be on my own, so I always try to leave the door open to others behind me. Now there is a whole raft of former sportswomen who are now presenters.”
21
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
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