From Boardrooms to Locker Rooms: What Wrexham AFC Can Teach Us About Building a Winning Company Culture

In the fall of 2020, Wrexham AFC, the third-oldest football club in the world, was facing uncertainty.

In the fall of 2020, Wrexham AFC, the third-oldest football club in the world, was facing uncertainty. Years of poor performance, financial instability, and dwindling fan support left the Welsh town’s beloved team languishing in the lower tiers of English football.

Then came an unexpected twist: two Hollywood actors. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the club.

To the skeptical onlooker, this seemed like a vanity project. But within just a few seasons, Wrexham was reborn. Not just as a competitive football team but as a global story of resilience, belief, and transformation.

This wasn’t just a tale of money spent wisely. It was a case study in culture – the kind that binds people together, transforms performance, and fuels a winning mindset.

Business leaders should be taking notes.

Culture First, Strategy Second

When Reynolds and McElhenney took over, they didn’t fire the coach or sell off players on day one. Instead, they traveled to Wrexham, met with fans, listened to the town’s stories, and studied what made the club matter in the first place.

“We don’t have a roadmap. We just have a deep desire to do this right,” McElhenney said in “Welcome to Wrexham.”

This human-first approach mirrors how strong companies are built. Culture isn’t a poster in the break room. It’s the unwritten contract that governs how people behave, solve problems, and show up. At Wrexham, respecting the legacy wasn’t nostalgia. It was strategy.

Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and chairman, famously declared, “The actual company values, as opposed to the nice-sounding values, are shown by who gets rewarded, promoted or let go.” Wrexham’s leadership modeled that with humility, consistency, and heart.

People Are the Multipliers

Wrexham didn’t try to become Manchester City overnight. Instead, they identified what their players and staff needed to thrive: better training, consistent leadership, and psychological safety.

Similarly, businesses often underestimate how much clarity of purpose and a strong sense of belonging influence performance. A Gallup study found that organizations with engaged employees outperform those without by 202%. That’s not just about perks. It’s about trust, connection and clarity of purpose.

At Wrexham, creating belief in the system led to belief on the field.

Radical Transparency Wins Loyalty

By producing a docuseries (“Welcome to Wrexham”) and pulling back the curtain, the owners gave fans access to the hard conversations through sharing contract negotiations, injuries and community doubts. Instead of diminishing confidence, it created more connection.

Businesses that are transparent about the journey, especially the challenges, tradeoffs, and decisions involved in living out their purpose, build stronger trust and connection with their employees and customers.

Wrexham showed that storytelling isn’t just a communication tool; it’s a way to build connection and belief to the purpose. For companies, the message is clear: when employees understand the deeper “why” behind decisions, they’re far more likely to align, engage and commit.

Purpose Powers Performance

Reynolds and McElhenney weren’t just rebuilding a team, they were reviving civic pride. They positioned the club as an engine of hope, jobs, and joy for a town that felt forgotten.

That purpose energized not only players but the entire ecosystem of volunteers, fans and local businesses.

Purpose is a proven business accelerator. Studies by Deloitte and Harvard Business Review show that companies driven by purpose are more innovative, attract better talent, and are more resilient in downturns.

When Wrexham’s players walked onto the field, they weren’t just playing for a score. They were playing for something bigger than themselves.

Progress Over Perfection

One of the most compelling parts of Wrexham’s journey is that it wasn’t clean. There were tough losses, fan protests, and moments of doubt.

But those weren’t failures. They were steps.

In business, too, the obsession with short-term gains can stifle momentum. Companies that celebrate progress, live their values, and treat learning as part of delivering on their purpose, build cultures that thrive through change; not in spite of it but because of it.

Lessons for Business Leader

Here’s a quick framework inspired by Wrexham AFC’s cultural rebuild:

Wrexham Strategy	Business Parallel
Embrace history & community	Honor company legacy and employee voices
Invest in players holistically	Develop people beyond KPIs
Transparent storytelling	Open internal communications, honest leadership
Purpose-driven play	Purpose-aligned strategy, hiring and culture
Celebrate growth, not just goals	Recognize and celebrate company values and behaviors

Closing Thoughts: Build Like Wrexham

Wrexham didn’t just win games. It won hearts. Its culture wasn’t imposed from above; it was grown through humility, authenticity, and shared purpose.

Business leaders can do the same. Instead of chasing trends or over-engineering performative culture efforts, start with people. Listen deeply. Tell the truth. Stand for something bigger than your bottom line.

Whether you’re managing a start-up or scaling a global brand, remember: the most important investment isn’t in what you do; it’s in who you are.

That’s how you build a winning team – on the field or in the office.