If you are considered the greatest leader in the history of your industry, then you are someone we should all learn from. Such a man is Sir Alex Ferguson. If you are not familiar Sir Alex, the following is just a short list of his many accomplishments:
- Ferguson was appointed manager of Manchester United in November 1986.
- During his 26 years with Manchester United he won 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, and two UEFA Champions League titles.
- He was knighted in the 1999 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his services to the game.
Ferguson is now a highly sought-after speaker and consultant in the areas of management and leadership for major companies around the world and academic institutions such as Harvard.
In his book Soccer Men: Profiles of the Rogues, Geniuses, and Neurotics Who Dominate the World’s Most Popular Sport, Simon Kuper dedicates several chapters to this managerial legend.
The following are 8 Lessons From Sir Alex Ferguson On Becoming An Elite Leader we learn from Kuper’s book:
- Identify Yourself With Your Company’s Brand – Elite leaders become the living embodiments of their organization. As Kuper wrote, “He (Ferguson) gradually absorbed three tenets of United’s brand: United teams must attack, the world is against United, and United is more a cause than a soccer club.” In essence, elite leaders become the keeper’s of the organizational flame.
- Hone Your Strongest Character Trait Into A Weapon – Ferguson’s was his temper. He would find colleagues and then practice yelling at them. He would then ask for feedback asking, “Does that sound okay?”
- Cultivate Every Interest Group Inside Your Company – You must know who the influencers are and how to get things done. As a young manager at St. Mirren, Ferguson was actually fired because he could not get along with the team’s chairman.
- Gather Information Everywhere – Elite leaders are humble enough to learn from anyone. In addition, the best leaders go one step further and cultivate as many relationships as possible.
- Seek Total Control, But Recognize When You Can’t Have It – Kuper writes, “the three main qualities required for leadership: Control. Managing change. And observation.” Ferguson knew everything about Manchester United up to and including the players’ dietary habits.
- Don’t Let Other People Cause You Stress – When people brought problems to Ferguson, his favorite reply was “I think you can resolve this yourself.”
- Remember That Crises Blow Over – All storms have one thing in common, they eventually end. Ferguson was firm on his strategy. He never adjusted it because of crises because he knew they would eventually pass.
- Always Be Unsatisfied – Satisfaction can be fatal to elite leaders. Ferguson said, “The sweetest moment for me is the last minute of victory. After that it drains away quickly. The memory’s gone in half an hour.”
You can purchase Kuper’s book by clicking HERE. #CommissionsEarned
What is one thing you can learn from Sir Alex Ferguson about being an elite leader?
The Top 100 Leadership Quotes From 2020 is my latest ebook. The wisdom contained in these pages from top business leaders, pastors, coaches, and superlative thinkers sustained countless leaders in the most turbulent year anyone can remember. If you want to be the best leader you can possibly be, click HERE or on the image provided to download this FREE resource. The lessons learned from last year, if applied, will sustain you for years to come.