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suggest that, beyond the sheer force – winning football matches – was of his personality, the overriding the how – playing attractive, lesson – and killer application for attacking football. As for the why, business – of the Sir Alex success Sir felt it was his job story is one of belief. to sell a higher order idea. “My job Do you have the conviction to was to send fans home happy at the define a set of beliefs as robust as his end of a match, it was to have that and the courage to lead by them? dressing room in delirium,” he says. Are those beliefs authentic, audacious Ferguson’s job description? “To and non-negotiable; daily reminders deliver delirium”. So, whilst that guide behaviour and inspire Ferguson, like all modern-day consistently winning action? managers, had plenty that might distract him, his obsessive focus was Sacrifice is absolute. Ferguson on his players, staff and results that played football the day he got kept United’s fans happy. CEOs who married, and he played the day his think their reason for being is to first son, Mark, was born. He generate ‘superior shareholder instigated the move of Darren – returns’, to make their company another son – from United to ‘best for customer’ and ‘best place Wolverhampton Wanderers, for to work’, or who scoop up every Sir Alex which his wife Cathy has never scrap of credit for each goal scored, forgiven him, telling him, “You sold ascribing it to their tactical genius, your own son”. I ask Sir Alex whether should attempt an urgent Ferguson’s you have to make these kinds of redefinition of their why – their own sacrifices to be a world-class chief as well as their organisation’s. executive? “There’s no other way,” Equipped with a more compelling he says. “Your life is devoted to being purpose, they must also adhere to winning way the best you can be, and also an principle. Those answering to football example to everyone. So sacrifice is club owners ignorant about the game Consistent adherence to beliefs is the key absolute. It’s paramount, absolute.” and insensitive to their club’s legacy, or those attempting to sate the to the former Manchester United manager’s Relentless pursuit of purpose is unreasonable demands of the capital unparalleled leadership, says Richard Hytner more important than short-term markets, will need double doses of results. To inspire a diverse group courage and conviction. Ferguson of talented individuals, you need took decisions that were costly in more than a willingness to make the short term, but were of sacrifices. You need to develop, lead incalculable value in setting with and live by a purpose. What you standards and imposing discipline do, why you do it and how you prefer over time. Ferguson suspended Eric to do it need to be understood and Cantona for four months, knowing embraced by all. Results mattered his disproportionate importance to s performances go, Sir Alex or 11 per cent, of the publicly traded Above: Sir Alex celebrates I have been a diligent student of standard-setting, team renewal, to Ferguson, of course. Winning was the team, after the talismanic Ferguson’s counts among English soccer team’s enterprise after Manchester United Sir Alex’s leadership, listening to readiness to win, control retention, important. As important as the what striker’s kung-fu kick of a spectator drew with Arsenal to the few to justify the value of $3.5bn at the time of his clinch the almost every carefully curated word media management, observation dispensing vile abuse in the descriptor he gave to just retirement. No wonder there’s a Championship in May he spoke before and after the 1,500 and continuous adaptation. Frenchman’s direction. The manager fourA of the players who served him: fascination with Ferguson and an 2009. Right: Sir Alex matches he was in charge of at United, The most telling conclusion in the also dropped three players for going “not just great but world class”. Under eager audience for his book, Leading, joined a bonus lecture of devouring most of the column inches BBC documentary was, in my view, out on the town on Boxing Day before Professor Chris Voss’s his now-legendary, 26-year-long written with Sequoia Capital Managing Sport and ever devoted to him and dissecting Professor Elberse’s unease about too a fixture with Blackburn Rovers. leadership, Manchester United Chairman, Sir Michael Moritz, Entertainment, a popular his biographies, both authorised and direct an application of her Ferguson Three valuable points were lost that Football Club won 38 major trophies. especially given Sir Michael’s own elective at LBS unauthorised. More recently, I have Formula to business, specifically the day in a season when all that His career tally reached 49. All that record of success with Apple, Google, examined Professor Anita Elberse’s extraordinary degree of control separated United from League in a sport famous for high-profile Paypal and WhatsApp. Harvard case study, on which she Ferguson demanded and retained winners Manchester City was goal managerial false starts, failures and and Sir Alex expanded in a packed until he retired. Long-term corporate difference. How many business heroes who become zeros (ask classroom at Business health requires checks and balances leaders adhere to principle over

Chelsea’s ‘Special One’, José Mourinho). School, featured in a BBC1 GETTY; LBS to the leader, and signs of Ferguson- expediency, how many overlook, Manchester United became the The overriding lesson – and killer documentary, Sir Alex Ferguson: like insistence on total control should excuses or even encourage the bad world’s most valuable soccer team. Secrets of Success. Harvard’s Ferguson be concerning to shareholders. behaviour of their star earners? One Forbes commentator estimated application for business – of the Sir Alex Formula has eight lessons for leaders, A close examination of Leading World-class leaders do not sacrifice

Ferguson was responsible for $385m, Ferguson success story is one of belief including foundation-building, PHOTOGRAPHS and an interview with Sir Alex principle for short-term results.

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World-class leaders look for a strong point of view. Needing to be anchored by those they trust, they cut sycophants no slack

He said, ‘I don’t do anything; you own work ethic and more obvious do everything.’ I said, ‘Well, you can reflections of his persona. Knox’s coach the boys in the afternoon.’ “last name could have been He said, ‘That’s not what you brought Ferguson”, so similar were their me here for. You brought me here beliefs. Ferguson gave another to be your assistant. You should not assistant, Carlos Queiroz, the be in the middle of a training session, number-two role simply because and I should not be standing on the how he showed up for interview sidelines. It should be the other revealed his belief in detail. way about.’” “I’d never met him before,” says Ferguson was immoveable, but Sir Alex. “When he came in, I thought Knox was backed up by Aberdeen’s he was getting married. He was general factotum Terry Scott: “He absolutely immaculate. I could see said, ‘He’s right, boss. You should be just by the way he sat that he wanted supervising, watching from the the job. He looked at me intensely.” sidelines.’ So I said, ‘I’ll sleep on it.’ Here was an assistant who would He said, ‘Don’t sleep on it. Do it.’ I be as prepared and focused as knew he was right, by the way. I just Ferguson, a Portuguese chip off the didn’t want to give in. Anyway, we old Glaswegian block. But this did it. It was the best thing I ever did.” apparent lack of diversity in How many leaders find it as personality did not translate into difficult as Ferguson to delegate groupthink. “He [Queiroz] could activity as strategically significant give me an opinion, he had no as daily training? How many miss problem with that,” says Ferguson. what is really going on, preferring to World-class leaders look for a focus on where the management ball strong point of view, a constant Big personalities need permission sense of self, yet committed to the From left: human beings,” he says. “They’re dispenses wisdom and counsel, Manchester United happens to be in that moment, fixated stream of fresh ideas and a readiness to express themselves. The true collective endeavour. attacking a fan in 1995; vulnerable to a lot of things. From reminds Cantona how good a player players celebrate with the by the managers chasing it? to disagree. For ten years of his tenure Ronaldo in action during FA Carling Premiership greats produce teams that embrace, the UEFA Champions time to time, they’d come and see he was for the club, expresses sincere trophy after beating West “It’s amazing what observation at United, one of Ferguson’s key develop and promote world-class A little emotion beats a lot of data. League match between me, and I had to put myself in the gratitude and extends an invitation Ham in 1997; Ferguson can do and I think, for leaders in relationships was with the Club’s talent, however big their personalities Big Data has become the staple in Manchester United and position where I could help them. I to the former player “to drop in any watches his team warm business, they should think about Chief Executive, David Gill, whom or complex their characters. Sir every leader’s diet. Ferguson Dynamo Kiev in November looked upon that as an important time for tea and a chat”. World-class up during a team training that, have a look around,” says Sir he describes in Leading as his 2007 session in Basel Alex courted and housed big concedes that his sports scientists role, that they could trust me. They leaders become their star turns’ most Alex. “Don’t have your head down commercial soulmate. When Gill personalities, supported their hunger had “forgotten more about their may have an agent, they may have trusted advisers not just during their all of the time. Lift your head and himself retired from his CEO role at to win and gave them permission to specialties than I was ever going to a banker, they may have an time together, but after it too. see what’s going on.” Manchester United, Ferguson said express themselves. know”, and that he was invariably accountant, they may have a lawyer, An open hand was Ferguson’s way that there should be a statue erected , one of the sceptical when approached by but I think the manager is the best Delegation fuels observation. of maintaining the tightest grip. He in his honour. When I interviewed manager’s world-class four (the people peddling the latest tech fad. person to go to because players know Ferguson’s EQ extended to his powers let go to keep control. Gill for my own book, he assured me others being Cantona, Not one of its pioneers, Ferguson still the manager wants them to win. No of observation and perception. He he could stand up to Ferguson if he and Paul Scholes), calls Ferguson saw the value of video analysis and one would ever know about the times made it his business to see into the Leaders need supporting leaders felt it necessary. Ferguson concurs: his “father of football”. Giggs, the embraced sports and medical I spent helping players with their minds of his players. The leadership not sycophants. Archie Knox was “It was fantastic. David was never most decorated player in football science. Even so, in the leadership various problems.” imperative of observation was one of seven assistant managers afraid of me. I think it’s fair to say history, still recalls Ferguson’s words world according to Ferguson, Understanding each player’s introduced to him by Archie Knox, Ferguson had during his time at that because of my position in the to him as a nervous debutant: emotion will always have the edge: unique character dominated an assistant with whom he first United. Whilst a big admirer of club and the length of time I was “Just go out and enjoy yourself.” “At the end of the day, players are Ferguson’s thinking. Leaders blessed worked at Aberdeen. Frustrated by Abraham Lincoln’s leadership, there, there was maybe a certain These were not personalities with world-class talent need world- Ferguson’s micromanagement, Knox specifically his invitation to rivals trepidation among some people. But devoid of dedication to their class emotional agility. They cannot – an honest, hard-working guy, but such as William Seward, Salmon David, he was straight as a die.”

teammates – “You cannot build a fake compassion or concern for their EX FEATURES; GETTY; PA; CORBIS; LBS like a bull in a china shop – decided Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin Their routine Friday meetings team with blithe free spirits,” says Sir Alex courted and housed big people. A letter that Ferguson wrote to confront his boss. Ferguson tells Stanton to join his inner circle, would focus on what was on the Ferguson. They were individuals, to Eric Cantona several months after the story: “He said to me, ‘I don’t 49trophies were Ferguson looked for unswerving manager’s mind. Gill’s job was to “whose genetic code was formed personalities, supported their hunger to the player had left Manchester know why you brought me here’. won by Ferguson loyalty from his assistants, coaches balance the books whilst fulfilling from victory”, each with a strong win and let them express themselves United, published in Leading, PHOTOGRAPHS I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ over his career and advisers, people steeped in his Ferguson’s footballing wishes,

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– you will never win anything without kids,” says Sir Alex. The ‘kids’ went on an unbeaten run of seven games. “I would say to any young coach now, ‘Rely on youth’, because they give you a future, they give you loyalty,” Sir Alex expands. “They always remember the coach who gave them their first opportunity. Don’t let him down. It’s amazing how young people can surprise you when they’re given an opportunity, and it creates a long- term consistency. All my staff knew the young players were going to be there in three years’ time so they could plan knowing that.” something that might escalate history. Manchester City supporters Sir Alex lifts the Premier World-class leaders promote when the manager appeared to be may not agree. League trophy as he youth, protect youth, show them celebrates Manchester being unreasonable. Leading is testament to Ferguson’s United winning its 20th constancy and consistency in their “We’d argue, I’d shout, he’d say, belief that leaders must create and league title in 2013; talent practices. To how many young ‘Calm down’, and I would then say, nurture a diverse circle of consiglieri, Ferguson applauds the people are you giving a first, ‘Oh, you’ve got an accountant’s head from on-field captains to specialist crowd at the end of the unforgettable opportunity? How Premier League match on today, haven’t you?’” says Sir Alex. coaches and confidantes; from against West Bromwich many of them will still be with you “He’d walk out and get a cup of tea managerial assistants to personal Albion in May 2013. The in three years’ time because you gave and come back in, and I would say, assistants; from spouses to friends. match, a 5-5 draw, was them a future? ‘So you’re back!’ But there was a People who can variously liberate Ferguson’s 1,500th and final game as Manchester respect. David, off the football pitch, their leader, enlighten them, anchor United manager Richard Hytner ([email protected]) is was the one person I really respected them and make things happen in Adjunct Professor of Marketing at London and I knew that when he would say the manner they would like, give Business School something to me like, ‘You can’t say leaders a tilt at greatness. Resources that about the referees’, or whatever, Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Michael Moritz, Leading he was doing it for my good.” Youth’s importance is in the now, (Hodder & Stoughton, 2015); Richard Hytner, The foundations of this mutual Ferguson’s strong Consiglieri: Leading from the Shadows (Profile, not the future. 2014); Anita Alberse and Tom Dye, ‘Sir Alex respect were the pair’s shared beliefs. conviction in youth was made famous Ferguson: Managing Manchester United’, Gill, of course, knew that winning by his ‘class of ’92.’ , Harvard Business School (September 2012) would do wonders for the bottom Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, line but, in Ferguson, he was blessed and Gary and Philip Neville were with a manager every bit as cost- among the players the manager used Richard Hytner has been a season ticket holder at Manchester United since 1964. conscious as he was. Having too in a game that they lost to Aston Villa GETTY; I IMAGES much money, asserts Ferguson, in the 1995-96 season. TV pundit Look out for his interview with Sequoia Capital’s Chairman Sir Michael Moritz in doesn’t create an organisation of concluded, “You cannot an upcoming edition of London Business breadth or depth, it doesn’t provide win anything with the kids.” School Review lineage and it doesn’t gift you a “I have always thought the opposite PHOTOGRAPHS

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