Rules Don’t Apply: From World Cup glory to cultural impact – Kim Anderson’s leadership secrets

Posted on 20 November 2024

If you could bottle great leadership, what would be in that bottle? “Authenticity.”

As part of its presence at SXSW Sydney in 2024, The Growth Distillery hosted a series of 10 vodcasts hosted by Dan Krigstein and branded Rules Don’t Apply.

The seventh guest in the series was Kim Anderson, one of the masterminds behind the phenomenal success of the Women’s World Cup.

As a brand strategist and storyteller, Anderson reveals how she crafted a game-changing blueprint for fan engagement, brand loyalty, and social impact in women’s sport.

In his introduction to the episode, Krigstein said: “From her work with partners like Adidas to her commitment to building an inclusive, unforgettable experience, Kim shares the strategies that drove the World Cup’s record-breaking achievements. She breaks down the compelling business case for women’s sport, highlighting the ROI that organisations and brands stand to gain from investing in this growing sector. Beyond the pitch, Kim’s insights on cultural impact and redefining perceptions of female athletes make this conversation a must-watch for anyone interested in the intersection of sport, social change, and brand strategy.

“Known for her authenticity and humility, Kim also offers valuable leadership lessons, discussing the importance of diversity in teams, the art of collaboration, and the power of leaving ego at the door. Her insights into team dynamics and building a culture of empowerment are essential for leaders in any field.

“Whether you’re a sports enthusiast, a marketer, or a leader looking to create meaningful impact, this episode with Kim Anderson offers inspiration and actionable insights on going Beyond Greatness.”

Highlights from the conversation include:

Dan Krigstein: You’ve changed the face of sport for an entire generation of young Australian women. From all of the success that you’ve had, as the chief marketing officer of the Women’s World Cup, what are you most proud of in everything that you’ve done?

Kim Anderson: There’s some really sexy records that we broke in terms of TV viewership and the number of people who attended the event. But I think for myself and my team, the social impact that we had at the end of the tournament was really what made us super proud. Changing perceptions of young boys and girls about what it means to be a female athlete.

Dan Krigstein: If you could bottle great leadership, what would be in that bottle?

Kim Anderson: Authenticity. Being really transparent with my team sharing as much as possible. People trust you, people respect you for that when they know that you can do that. I think I have a high standard for excellence, but I also have a really good sense of humour and those two things need to go hand in hand. You can do really hard things, but have a bunch of fun doing them. Also be really values led. When I look to other people, it’s because I see something in them and I think I want to be more like that.

Dan Krigstein: What makes an elite team?

Kim Anderson: I like to see my role as leader as like a coach. It is about recruiting really great talent. Often people are more specialised in certain things like digital marketing than I am. It is then about empowering them and unleashing them. A superstar team is more than just a team of superstars. It’s about how do you gel those things together and how do you know when to push someone, when to nudge someone into action, what combinations of people are going to get a really great result. I actually think that’s something I’m really good at as a leader. Kind of connecting the dots between. You’re going to have a really great idea, I’m going to build on it, and then I’m also going to know who to bring in to make it even better and make a seismic impact with it.