How Chelsea’s No1 manager target Graham Potter’s Masters in Emotional Intelligence has helped him reach the top
GRAHAM POTTER is ready to win over the Chelsea dressing room when he is officially confirmed as Thomas Tuchel’s successor.
That’s because the outgoing Brighton boss has reached the top of his game using a Masters’ degree in Emotional Intelligence.
The 47-year-old tactician worked his socks off to become an elite manager, developing his trade with Hull University, the Ghana women’s team and the England Universities Squad.
Potter then became an assistant coach at Leeds Met Uni, where he picked up an impressive degree in Leadership and Emotional Intelligence.
Potter’s managerial career kicked off soon afterwards, landing a role with Swedish side Ostersund before making the leap with Swansea City.
He then got the Brighton job in 2019, and their transformation since has been nothing short of remarkable.
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Potter is now on the cusp of becoming Chelsea’s second English manager since Glenn Hoddle.
And his personal approach to the game could see Potter transform the Blues back into genuine title contenders.
He told : “I realised my time as a footballer was coming to an end and I wanted to use those experiences somehow, whether it was a teaching qualification or whatever.
“But I started to study and it just happened by accident almost, I ended up with my job at the University of Hull, which was a graduate position job but it was in football.
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“Then I carried on working with the teams there and realised, ‘I’m quite good at this, I can see myself doing this a bit more’.
“It just grew and grew. The more I had practice the more I had experience.
“[My masters] was a leadership qualification and that seemed to be interesting to me.
“I’d done my qualifications as a coach and I was at Leeds Met, I had time and the cohort were surgeons and the British military.
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“You simplify it, it’s just man management, building an environment, understanding how the environment can help you shape behaviour, how people act.
“It sounds quite common sense but it’s often not common practice and that’s the beauty of it.”