Sir Alex Ferguson’s book Leading, written with Michael Moritz, is a treasure of management insights from his 38 year-long career as a professional football manager. The book is an absolute treat for any football lovers, especially for fans of Manchester United, as he draws from his experience and decisions made during his time in the Premier League.
If other management and self-help books seem too dense or plain for you, I think this is a great fusion of 2 worlds, from which you can pick up any reflections and observations that make an impression on you.
Here are some that appealed to me:
1. The two most powerful words in the English language are ‘Well done!’.
Sir Alex constantly reiterates that no leader can sustain long-term success with the people in his organisation working in constant fear of their leader. Constantly nudging them and giving them credit where it is due works better. This motivates them to give their best to their pursuits.
2. “A youngster never forgets the person or organisation that gave him his first big chance.”
Quite a self-explanatory sentence, which Sir Alex buttresses with multiple examples of players from Man-U who were scouted as boys and had long, fulfilling careers, to emphasise the fact that individuals loyal to an organisation will stay with it during times of strife.
3. “You only need six people to carry your coffin.”
This is something Sir Alex’s father told him. That led to his confiding in an extremely small number of people about his exact plans in full detail. It’s a recurring theme among the most successful people like to keep their circle small and tight, but this particular sentence is quite a unique way to quantify that sentiment.
4. Any leader has to be a Salesman.
A leader has to have the ability to sell his vision to the individuals in the organisation because unless they are completely buy into, the leader will not be able to get their full commitment to any project. At the same time, a leader must also be able to ‘sell’ his organisation to external stakeholders like investors and customers to ensure its sustained success. This is something I never considered before and in my eyes, somebody like Steve Jobs is the quintessential leader-salesman that Sir Alex describes here.
5. Be the Puppet Master, not the Control Freak
Sir Alex always drew clear lines between the things at the organisation that were his responsibility and the things that were not. He says he already had his hands full dealing with the football side of United and therefore, he was happy to leave the administrative duties to others. He says that control and delegation are two sides of the same coin, and mastering how to effectively delegate while maintaining control is the mark of a highly-skilled leader.
6. It takes courage to say ‘Let me think about it’.
Quite often, leaders feel the pressure to make decisions quickly and they end up making hasty decisions without getting all the information they can. If one needs time and has the privilege of taking it, one should definitely take it to weigh out all the options, at the risk of people thinking they are incapable of being decisive.
