In the world of football, few lines stir emotion like this one:
“You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
But at Liverpool Football Club, it isn’t just a chant from the stands. It’s a culture. A promise. A way of being.
It’s also one of the clearest illustrations of what leaders and organisations can learn about building truly human, resilient, and values-driven cultures.
I’ve been thinking about that line for years—ever since someone I barely knew called me late one evening, devastated by the loss of his father. Grief-stricken and unsure how to navigate the days ahead, he reached out to talk. I didn’t have answers, but I shared what I had been reflecting on:
“You’ll never walk alone.”
It wasn’t about football. It was about the way we are meant to live—connected, supported, seen.
In a world that prizes independence and performance, it’s easy to forget that people are built for community. We weren’t designed to carry the weight of life alone, at home or workplace.
Liverpool FC lives out that ethos of togetherness. Sharing moments of joy and sorrow; not only with their players and fans but with the wider football community.
In 2022, when Cristiano Ronaldo tragically lost his newborn son and couldn’t feature in a match against Liverpool, the Anfield crowd did something unforgettable.
At the 7th minute of play—honouring Ronaldo’s jersey number—the stadium stood, paused, and sang:
“Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart, you’ll never walk alone”.
It was a moment of pure humanity, transcending competition and fierce rivalry.
More recently, Liverpool itself was plunged into grief. Diogo Jota and his brother André lost their lives in a tragic car accident in Spain.
The club’s response wasn’t just formal—it was deeply human. The entire club – players, staff and fans- grieved and carried the entire world into their shared grief. It was also reported that Liverpool FC decided to honor the rest of Diogo’s contract to ease the burden of loss on his family.
This is how leadership transforms a workplace into family.
5 Leadership Lessons from Liverpool FC’s Culture
Organisations today are under pressure. In the quest for performance, many forget that culture is not a luxury but a strategy. And Liverpool offers some timeless lessons which are:
- Culture Must Be Lived.
Every company has a list of values on their website, some have them as murals in work places. But real culture is what people experience when no one is watching – When grief comes; or someone’s world collapses; when kindness doesn’t lead to an increase in the bottomline.
- Empathy Must be Felt, Seen and Touched.
Empathy isn’t soft. People work harder, stay longer, and care deeper when they feel safe and valued. Liverpool’s response to Jota’s death was reflex, a sign of the culture at Anfield.
- Belonging Is Better Than Branding
Liverpool fans don’t just support the club, they have a sense of belonging. They share identity, not affiliation. That sense of community is why supporters show up—rain or shine, win or lose. And why this supporter has just recently made a decision to belong in that community where empathy is center place.
- Rituals Anchor Culture
Liverpool reinforces identity with rituals: singing the anthem, moments of silence, symbolic gestures. These aren’t just traditions—they’re tools that keep culture alive. Because culture is aggregated habits. Hence, to lead a team effectively, have rituals that members can look forward to and participate in with excitement. This is how culture is built and sustained.
- Accountability to Humanity Trumps Optics
In the 7th minute of that Ronaldo match, Liverpool paused—not for press, not for PR, but for people. For decency. For humanity. That’s culture. That’s leadership.
Doing what is right for the sake of shared humanity will engender trust and enhance team performance.
In conclusion, leadership is not just about vision or results. It is about how people feel when they walk through our door—and how we treat them when they are down.
In times of crisis, the question is not “What do we do?” but rather, “Who are we?”
If we have built the right culture. If we build or create the space for belonging, empathy, and connection—then the answer will always be the same – in good times or bad:
“You’ll never walk alone.”
May we all be the kind of leaders who ensure that no one under our watch ever has to.
– Petra Akinti Onyegbule
Leadership and Strategic Communications Consultant
