A few Change Leadership Lessons I have learnt from Sir Alex Ferguson

I love Sir Alex Ferguson. Well, rephrase: I love Sir Alex Ferguson’s style of leadership, commitment to excellence, change and passion. Even though I am about to talk about one of the men that I greatly admire in the management and leadership arena and especially in the face of change and success, I must confess I am not a football fan and do not understand why 22 individuals chase a ball throughout the field for 90 minutes! or how many are in the field at any one time during the game.

Ferguson is the longest-serving manager of Manchester United and during his 26 years with Manchester United Ferguson won 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, and two UEFA Champions League titles. It is safe to say that Mr. Ferguson has been very successful. However, how did he manage this change and success? How did it not get to his head and he kept winning?

I recently read a very interesting book by Professor Damian who got into the world of Alex Ferguson to understand his formula for successful change( If you are a football fan then you will remember that Alex took on the leadership of the club at it’s lowest and had not won an English league in close to twenty years)

Of interest to me is how he, Alex, discovered and nurtured talent as one of his workable strategies to turn around the club.  (allow me to use the word talent in place of players ) I already like the sound of this- ‘Discovered’ and ‘Nurtured’ talent, and here is lesson number one on leadership! A leader must then be deliberate in recognizing and nurturing talent in-spite of the condition he/she finds an entity in. 

I have often said that a leader/ great manager is that one that manages/leads both people and processes. There is no one without the other really and Ferguson was well aware of this fact and was impeccable at managing both the team and the entire club’s affairs from the top.

Ferguson managed the United club’s change and success exemplary well in my view and here is what I have learnt from his ‘Man U’ tenure in that regard:

1.    You have got to have the character to embrace change. Posses stubbornness and willingness to embrace change

2.    You must visualize change. Imagine hitting a ball that you cannot see from which direction its coming?

3.    Change your focus – take note of your distractions and eliminate these by focusing on being the best

4.    Change your view, be optimistic and don’t dwell on the past or set backs. In 1992, United failed to win the first league title and a few minutes after this set back, Ferguson told the team the following: “We have to recover, we have to be fast about it. In the history of Manchester United, this is another day and we will recover” end quote. Can you imagine how the team felt? How the next game was?

5.    Be hungry for feedback. Top performers are genuinely concerned about feedback. This ensures they keep improving. Be one of those.

6.    Change or charge your confidence levels. When you are at a leadership position and especially leading change, you shall not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you are in the limelight as Ferguson was, you will have anyone writing and tweeting all manner of things about you. It is upon you to build on your confidence so strong that you can maneuver such with ease.

7.    Not everything is within your control but, control what you can!

8.    Write your goals

9.    Change your mind….. if and when you need to

Ferguson changed the fortunes of one the most notable football clubs in history ( I do not wish to start a fight between fans of this and the other very notable club ?? ) he did this with both an iron fist and a velvet glove. This short article has not done his work any justice.

I look forward to reading his biography which is next in line.

Have yourselves a thoughtful, successful week.

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Lucy Wairimu Gacheru | MSC, OD, PHRi, CHRMA, CPM&T, SHRM-CP, FAAPM, MIoD | is a seasoned Thought Leader in Human Capital Management, Leadership, Governance and Mediation with over 14 years progressive experience in Africa. 

You can reach Lucy at: [email protected] Twitter: @lucywairimu01