How Three Women Footballers Reshaped My Views on Leadership
adidas’ Ha Luu shares her key takeaways from recent conversations with three big names from the beautiful game.
“94% of female leaders identify as former athletes.” While this bold statement from tennis legend Billie Jean King resonated with me, it also left me wanting to find some real world examples to see how such powerful individuals bring their strengths to empower others.
And I didn’t have to look too far. Over the past few months, I met up with three women footballers who regularly don the 3-Stripes: Arsenal striker Stina Blackstenius, OL Lyonnes midfielder Lindsey Heaps, and Luisa Guttenberger, captain of adidas’ local legends 1. FC Nürnberg. Here’s what I took away from our conversations.
THE SOURCE OF CONFIDENCE
Confidence may look like an individual trait, but often it is shaped or bolstered by the behaviors of others. What I heard from these athletes is that it starts with trust, grows in community, and is sustained by the people around you.
Stina described how Arsenal felt like home from day one, with welcoming teammates, a culture of respectful feedback, and facilities that provided holistic support. That sense of belonging gave her the confidence to perform at the highest level.
Luisa Guttenberger, captain of adidas’ local legends 1. FC Nürnberg, speaks with Ha Luu at the adidas World of Sports.
As a captain, Luisa works on building a trusted team where players can be themselves, integrate quickly, and support one another. She believes in “being honest, not just nice” and that constructive feedback helps the team to grow. Sometimes that means tough talks. More often, it means celebrating the small wins that keep confidence alive.
Lindsey extends this to mentorship. She notices when younger – or less experienced players need an extra boost and gives them the right kind of energy so they can believe in themselves – just as others did for her.
Off the pitch, support systems matter just as much. Lindsey calls her husband, Tyler, her “lifelong teammate,” analyzing games together. Stina points to her family and friends as anchors during tough times. Luisa credits her parents and sister for trusting her to “fly” at 16.
The lesson? Confidence isn’t a solo sport. It’s built together through welcoming cultures, honest feedback, mentoring support, and gratitude for those who’ve got our backs.
Lindsey Heaps, OL Lyonnes midfielder keeps the fact that pressure is a privilege front of mind.
BOUNCE-BACK ENERGY
As in walks of life, in football it can always be that things don’t always land the way we hope. But in the instances, what really matters is how we pick ourselves up again.
Luisa still remembers the tough 2023/24 season: “Every team had their best day against us.” But her mantra – “One loss cannot define the next seven or eight games” – kept the team steady. That mindset carried 1. FC Nürnberg through relegation and back to promotion into the Bundesliga.
Lindsey carried the weight of the US team’s early World Cup exit in 2023, questioning if she had done enough as captain. Instead of letting doubt consume her, she turned it into fuel. A year later, she stood on the podium in Paris with an Olympic gold medal. Proof that even the hardest losses can become steps toward the next win.
Stina has lived both extremes. “The highs can be very high, but the lows are very low,” she told me. Her answer: “Accept it, learn, and go again.”
Stina Blackstenius, Arsenal striker, remains ready for the chances that arise.
In any career, progress isn’t linear. Decisions change, campaigns stall, and strategies shift. But like these athletes, we don’t stop at setbacks. We turn them into energy for what comes next. That’s bounce-back energy.
DEALING WITH PRESSURE
In football, pressure is all part of the game: must-win matches, tough losses, big finals, global tournaments. No footballer escapes it, but what matters is how you respond. Each athlete has their own view.
Before tense moments, Stina keeps it simple: focusing on the present. In the 2024/25 Champions League final against Barcelona, she came on in the 68th minute. Nerves and excitement hit her at once, but she simply told herself, “Just be ready if the chance comes.” Six minutes later, Stina scored the decisive goal, bringing the champion cup to the team.
Luisa has spent years modelling calm players. Structured and controlled on the field, she uses pre-game box breathing to steady herself. Having faced tough losses, she manages pressure by keeping her on-pitch and off-pitch lives separate – never letting one bad game define her self-worth.
Over in OL Lyonnes, Lindsey has another method. Before every match, she repeats affirmations: “I’m the best player on the field,” or “I’m scoring today.” It’s not always the case, but it puts her in the zone and that energy carries through to the entire team. It’s amazing how the actions and mindset of one individual have the power to impact others, fully subscribing to the mantra that “pressure is a privilege.”
"You’re lucky to deal with pressure in big games. Not many people get to feel what this is. It’s something to enjoy and embrace."
Beyond the challenge, joy is what they all return to. The little girl falling in love with the ball, the roar of teammates in celebration, the locker-room laughter that carries you through tough moments.
Pressure will always be there. But joy is always there, too.
PLAYING OUR OWN GAME
Listening to Stina, Luisa, and Lindsey, I realized they weren’t just talking about football. They were talking about the same challenges we all face.
Their lessons are simple, but powerful: embrace pressure, enjoy what you do, trust the people around you, and turn every low into fuel for the next high.
Maybe that’s what You Got This really means. Not pushing harder, but showing up fully: as teammates, as colleagues, as ourselves.