Man-management lessons from Sir Alex

Everyone’s been talking about Sir Alex Ferguson. Lately British media reports show that he has even received more coverage that the great British premier, Baroness Margaret Thatcher, received upon her demise, since announcing his retirement on May 8, 2013.The English club, Manchester United, is arguably the biggest brand in world football. It leads the pack with 1.6 billion dedicated and passionate followers, mostly in the emerging markets who zealously follow the club. All this success is traceable to the club’s good management and specifically to Sir Alex.He is English Premier League’s best-known and most enduring manager. Not only is he the most successful in the league’s short history, but also the only one to have been in his job since its inception in the 1992-93 season, having become United manager in 1986. As his 21st season draws to a close, He has just brought the league title back to Old Trafford winning it for the 13th time. Sir Alex has won 38 trophies in a 26-year spell at Old Trafford. That includes 13 league titles, two Champions Leagues, five FA Cups and four League Cups. Before coming to Manchester United, Fergie coached St Mirren where he won the first division title in 1977, and then Aberdeen, where he won three Scottish Premier Division titles, four Scottish Cups, three League Cups, and a European Cup Winners’ Cup (where they beat Real Madrid) in 1983. Aberdeen is the only team that has broken the stranglehold of the big two of Scotland, Rangers and Celtics.But European football is not just about winning domestic trophies. Finishing high enough in leagues to gain entry to the European Champions League has assumed great importance: it brings in pots of money and allows players to pit their skills against the best teams in other countries. A Champions League place is, therefore, a big draw for talented players, who in turn tend to demand big salaries. Since the Premier League began, United have never finished outside the top three. That is very remarkable.With these, Fergie is definitely high up on the list of claimants to “the greatest manager of all time”. How has he done it?Entrepreneurial zeal: Sir Alex has always had a strong desire to win. He inculcates this in his players. Many a football pundit know that for Man United the game is not over until it is over. They have won many matches (including their last home game this season) in the dying minutes of the game. The classic example is their 1999 Champion’s League final against Bayern Munich where after trailing one nil, they scored two goals in extra time and clinched the coveted trophy. Mentorship: The ‘never die spirit’ of Manchester United is not by accident. It is a product of Fergie’s mentorship. He constantly desires and strives to improve his players. He helps a player when in a fix, he sticks by his players and in turn they stick with him; as he put it, “we suffer together and win together”. He guides his players and demands they consistently give their best. Consistency: Everyone wants change; and change is good, but consistency is the one thing that is better than change. Manchester United has gone against the grain and stuck with a coach that brought no trophy for the first five years. Their ‘noisy neighbors’ Manchester City have fired a coach who brought them their first trophy in over 40 years last year and guided the team to a decent second place this year. Chelsea’s Carlo Ancelotti was the premiership’s manager of the month for March and April in 2011 but was fired by May!Open and honest communication: Players testify that you can always speak up or against Sir Alex. He will also give you an honest feedback. He will tell you if he thinks you are wrong. Sticking by his people: When Sir Alex Ferguson is on your side, the Liverpool motto, ‘You will never walk alone’ makes a lot of sense. BBC and other media outlets got a blackout for actions unacceptable to his team know this. He always defends his players to a man. They have, in turn, delivered handsomely for him. An example is the expletives he unleashed on journalists when they questioned his wisdom in signing Argentinean Juan Sebastian Veron in the latter’s presence (deemed disrespectful).Curiously, Alex Ferguson was born a ‘commoner’. He was an average footballer. He even ran a pub at some point. He struggled just like you and me. But his determination was and has remained extraordinary. Be like Sir Alex; it’s ‘squeaky bum time’ and it’s not over till it is over.