Building value-driven organisations in women’s football

Women’s football is no longer a side project. It is an industry in development, with growing commercial interest, increasing media attention and rising expectations from players, fans, sponsors and investors. But growth alone will not guarantee sustainability.

The clubs and leagues that will create lasting value are those able to answer a fundamental question: what does this organisation truly stand for?

This was the central theme of a seminar in Stockholm organised by Elitfotboll Dam, the body representing Sweden’s 28 elite women’s football clubs. I was invited to speak about how to build value-driven organisations, drawing from nearly twenty years in digital media and strategy consulting and from my more recent work leading and advising women’s football clubs.

The connection between those two worlds is stronger than it may appear. Corporate organisations have spent years learning that culture, values and mission cannot sit passively in a brand document. They need to influence hiring, leadership, internal behaviours, commercial decisions and stakeholder relationships. Sport organisations now face the same challenge.

For football clubs, especially in women’s football, identity can no longer rely only on a crest, a city or a historic affiliation. Territorial belonging still matters, but today’s fans, athletes, employees and partners increasingly want to feel part of something more defined. They want to understand the cause, the ambition and the values behind the organisation.

This is particularly important for women’s sport because many properties are still being built. They can choose not only who they represent, but how they want to operate. That is a strategic advantage, if used intentionally.

A value-driven organisation is not one that simply communicates purpose. It is one that uses purpose as an operating system. Values should influence recruitment, player experience, commercial partnerships, leadership behaviours and fan engagement. They should be visible in how the club hires, how it treats people, how it communicates, and how it makes difficult decisions.

Recruitment is one of the clearest examples. In both business and football, recruitment often begins with technical checklists. Skills matter, but culture is shaped by character, mindset and alignment. Technical ability can be developed; curiosity, resilience and intent are harder to teach.

This does not mean lowering standards. It means broadening the definition of value. If organisations recruit only through traditional credentials and familiar networks, they risk reproducing the same perspectives. Women’s sport has the opportunity to build more diverse, modern and effective talent systems from the start.

Culture is also communicated through small behaviours. How candidates are contacted, how players are onboarded, how unsuccessful applicants are treated, how feedback is given and how expectations are managed all send signals. Professionalism, transparency and respect are not details. They are brand messages.

In my career, I have seen the power of values when they are lived consistently. At Expedia Group, values were not decorative words; they shaped decisions, conversations and performance reviews. In sport, I have seen a similar clarity at EVZ in Switzerland, where the women’s ice hockey programme has been backed by strong top-management commitment and a clear ambition to become one of Europe’s leading teams.

That clarity matters because it attracts people. Players, staff and partners do not only want a contract or a commercial asset. They want to join something credible. They want to see that ambition is real.

Women’s football also needs to rethink working models. If the sport wants more women in coaching, management and leadership roles, it cannot rely only on structures designed around traditional full-time, always-available career paths. Modern organisations need to reflect real lives, multiple responsibilities and portfolio careers.

The commercial implication is direct. Strong cultures create stronger brands. Strong brands attract better talent, better partners and more committed communities. In women’s football, culture is not separate from commercial growth. It is one of its foundations.

The next phase of women’s football will not be won only through better budgets or better visibility. It will be won by organisations that know who they are, what they stand for and how to turn that identity into daily behaviour.

Because whether a club is hiring a centre-back, a commercial director or a strategist, it is ultimately building culture. And culture, when built deliberately, becomes one of the most sustainable competitive advantages in sport.