SIR ALEX FERGUSON: LEADING

It is no longer news that Sir Alex Ferguson (SAF) is the Greatest Manager Of All Time (GOAT). The odds are he will hold on to that status for life.

With his enviable and ridiculous success in the world of football, it is not out of place to say that his opinion on some topics should be gospel. Hence, when someone like him stands on a podium to speak or picks a pen to write, it is advisable that humans from every walk of life either listen carefully or read intently.

Since SAF retired from football management, he has published two bestselling books:

• MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY
• LEADING

Summarily, these books are about SAF largely talking about his career as the manager of the biggest club in England, Manchester United. Having read these books, I understand how easy it is for readers to get distracted and reduce the contents of these books to just his time as manager, but these books (especially LEADING) are much more than that. Beyond his managerial career stories, there are several life and leadership lessons to glean from them.

I recently read LEADING, and I thought to share quotes from the book that jumped right at me. Read, Enjoy and Learn.

Book Cover for the book: LEADING

FOREWORD

• “If I were running a company, I would always want to listen to the thoughts of its most talented youngsters, because they are the people most in touch with the realities of today and the prospects for tomorrow.”
• “My approach to leadership and management evolved as the seasons went by”

CHAPTER ONE — BECOMING YOURSELF

• “If you are leading people, it helps to have a sense of who they are — the circumstances in which they were raised, the actions that will draw out the best in them, and the remarks that will cause them to be spooked. The only way to figure this out is by two underrated activities: listening and watching.”
• “There’s a reason that God gave us two ears, two eyes and one mouth. It’s so you can listen and watch twice as much as you talk. Best of all, listening costs you nothing.”
• “The comment that led us to Cantona was unusual but I made it a practice to listen intently to how the players would predict the probable line-up of our opponents.”
• “For me there are two forms of observations: the first is on the detail and the second is on the big picture.”
• “It sounds simple to say you should believe what your eyes tell you, but it is very hard to do. It is astonishing how many biases and preconceived notions we carry around, and these influence what we see, or, more precisely, what we think we see. ”
• “It takes courage to say, ‘Let me think about it.’ When you’re young you want to fly to the moon and you want to get there quickly. I think it’s usually enthusiasm that causes this. As you get older you temper your enthusiasm with experience.”
• “Watching others, listening to their advice and reading about people are three of the best things I ever did.”

SAF on the importance of Listening and Watching

CHAPTER TWO — RECOGNISING HUNGER

• “Players give a manager plenty of opportunities to crack the whip, so it’s best to pick and choose the moments. You don’t have to mete out punishment very often for everyone to get the message.”
• “I always felt that our triumphs were an expression of consistent application of discipline. It may surprise some to learn that much of the success comes from not getting carried away or trying to do the impossible and taking too many risks.”
• “If I had to pick drive or talent as the most potent fuel, it would be the former.”
• “A winning drive is like a magical potion that can spread from one person to another.”

CHAPTER THREE — ASSEMBLING THE PIECES

• “I’ve always felt that it’s impossible to field a great football team if you don’t have a great organisation.”
• “The most important aspect of our system was training. Whatever happens on a Saturday afternoon has already occurred on the training ground.”
• “If I was starting again as a manager, the thing I would focus on the most is a player’s attitude during training sessions.”
• “Games — like life — are all about waiting for chances and then pouncing on them.”
• “Part of the pursuit of excellence involves eliminating as many surprises as possible because life is full of the unexpected.”
• “Ultimately no battles are won by mounting a sterling defence. The way to win battles, wars, and games is by attacking and overrunning the opposing side.”
• “In football, just like in other activities, the best-laid plans sometimes don’t work and improvisation is required.”
• “Great teamwork comes from deep familiarity and developing close bonds with others.”
• “It makes it far tougher to sell the dream of the future if you cannot point to the staff and facilities that will make it come true.”

SAF on picking moments to show the whip

CHAPTER FOUR — ENGAGING OTHERS

• “Balance is the key to every team. It is impossible to win a football game with 11 Goalkeepers or with a group of people with identical talents. I imagine that’s true in other organisations too.”
• “Every member of a team has got to understand that they are part of a jigsaw puzzle. If you remove one piece, the picture doesn’t look right.”
• “You don’t have to love your players or your management team, but you do need to respect their abilities.”

CHAPTER FIVE — SETTING STANDARDS

• “People perform best when they know they have earned the trust of their leader.”
• “Leaders are usually unaware, or at least underestimated, the motivating power of their presence.”
• “Unless you understand people, it’s very hard to motivate them.”
• “You don’t get the best out of people by hitting them with an iron rod. You do so by gaining their respect, getting them accustomed to triumphs and convincing them that they are capable of improving their performance.”

SAF juxtaposing Drive and Talent

CHAPTER SIX — MEASURING PEOPLE

• “When I interview someone, I want to know how ambitious they are or whether they are just thinking about a job as a stepping-stone to something else.”
• “Some people are often afraid to ask questions during interviews. That’s daft. Interviews should not be a one-way street. You need to know what your employer can offer you.”
• “The ultimate judge of performance is Father Time.”
• “A network takes time to develop. Part comes through the passage of time, part from the way you treat others, and part from reciprocity. But it all begins at home.”

CHAPTER SEVEN — FOCUS

• “For me, the only time to give up is when you are dead.”
• “The experience of defeat, or more particularly the manner in which a leader reacts to it, is an essential part of what makes a winner.”
• “Losing is a powerful management tool so long as it does not become a habit.”
• “Whenever someone new assumes a role, there will always be doubts about his capabilities until he has proved.”

SAF on attitude towards Training

CHAPTER EIGHT — OWNING THE MESSAGE

• “The best way to make sure people understand what you expect from them is to be clear and concise.”
• “Whether the audience is one person or 75,000, you need to assemble your thoughts, know what you want to emphasise and just say it.”

CHAPTER TEN — THE BOTTOM LINE

• “No leader stands a chance if the people he is supposedly managing sense that his hold on his job is tenuous.”
• “The skipper of any ship incapable of controlling its course, or altering its speed, is not going to arrive safely in port.”
• “Harsh outbursts and temper tantrums can, when used sparingly, have an effect, but it’s a negative and corrosive way to run anything.”

SAF on improvisation

CHAPTER ELEVEN — BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

• “Any leader is a salesman — and he has to sell to the inside of his organisation and to the outside. Anyone who aspires to be a great leader needs to excel at selling his ideas and aspirations to others.”

CHAPTER TWELVE — THE RELEVANCE OF OTHERS

• “Nonetheless, you can learn from your competitors and, more importantly, you can raise your standards by trying to match or outperform them.”

SAF on Teamwork

CHAPTER THIRTEEN — TRANSITIONS

• “If you want to build a winning organisation, you have to be prepared to carry on building every day.”
• “A leader who arrives in a new setting, or inherits a big role, needs to curb the impulse to display his manhood.”

SAF on Fighting

Thank you for reading.

If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend you include it on your to-do list for 2021.

N:B:

• Check out Michael Moritz — The co-Author of LEADING
• Understand that the leadership tips aren’t only applicable in the corporate, entertainment, sports, or business world; they are very much useful in your immediate family.