Tag Archives: Model

Leadership Lessons from Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson is not just one of the most successful football (soccer) coaches ever, he is also one of the most successful leaders you can spend some time studying. Take some time and read over the Harvard Business Review – Ferguson’s Formula by Anita Elberse. In 26 seasons under Sir Alex Ferguson’s leadership, Manchester United succeeded in the most challenging football league in the world, the English Premier League. Manchester United won 38 domestic and international trophies, nearly twice as many as any other manager in the English Premier League. In this article, Sir Alex Ferguson breaks down his simple formula, consisting of the following key areas.

  • Start With The Foundation
  • Dare To Rebuild Your Team
  • Set High Standards – and Hold Everyone to Them
  • Never, Ever Cede Control
  • Match the Message to the Moment
  • Prepare to Win
  • Rely on the Power of Observation
  • Never Stop Adapting

Start with the Foundation. The foundation of every team is the key to success and consists of the vision, values along with leaders exhibiting those values. Good people will attract more good people.

Dare to Rebuild Your Team. There comes a time for every team to rebuild, taking too long can be detrimental. I tell everyone, from the first day a person joins our team, through every day as a part of our team to the day we say goodbye, treat each person with the respect they deserve.

Set High Standards – and Hold Everyone to Them. We’ve heard it all before, the culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate. Hold yourself to the standards, and hold everyone else to them.

Never, Ever Cede Control. Observe egos, which can be so destructive to a team. When the focus is on me, I and comparing myself to others – when we believe that other people around us are not as special as “me” – mutual respect disintegrates. Respond quickly when you see a negative influence, maintain control of the team and set the pace for expectations.

Match the Message to the Moment. Some messages are meant to be delivered to the team, some in person. Some messages can be used to recognize achievements while other ones can be used to highlight a situation that didn’t unfold as expected. Take time and prepare for every team communication.

Prepare to Win. Yes, Allen Iverson, practice is important. Not just to run through drills – skills and tactics. Training sessions are used to prepare for the big game when decisions are needed quickly. Help prepare the team to win in those tense situations.

Rely on the Power of Observation. Delegate supervision to others – trust, train and empower – and observe. Coaches need to observe, assess, clarify behaviors – recognize when result are as expected and show how to improve as needed.

Never Stop Adapting – Status quo is never an option – individually or with a team. Always learn and adapt – reflect on experiences, what went right and what didn’t. Seek out experiences from others.

Apologies for the poor quality, the graphic above is a scan of the visual reminder I keep in my office. Whose leadership lessons strike a chord with you?

When Your Kids Become Leaders

The definition of leadership that we started with “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something they wouldn’t normally do because they want to and they understand why.”

When we bring children into the world we have the responsibility of leading them. If you do a good job, the time will come when your kids begin to lead you. I have two simple examples that came up recently.

I introduced the concept of stimulus and response in an earlier blog. We are all challenged by this at some time. This year I made the public commitment that I would respect the observance of Lent and give up alcohol. I am not Catholic but I respect the concept of sacrifice and improvement. I was two weeks in when we had a small gathering at our house and I opened a bottle of wine to share with guests. I poured a glass for myself and was ready to bend the rules when my daughter caught my eye and knowing me said “Dad, if you do that you will regret it and there is no going back”. Needless to say, I did not drink any wine that night. My daughter was successful in getting me to do something I wouldn’t normally do because i wanted to and I understood why.

I also think of myself as somewhat chivalrous, upholding the honour of my wife. When we go for walks, I proudly hold her hand and stay aware, ready to protect. My son and his wife were walking behind us when he called out to me and said “Dad, what are you doing?” You see, we were walking on a busy road and my wife was on the inner side, walking closer to the traffic. My son educated me on chivalry and that I should actually be walking on the inner side and protecting his mother. Needless to say, I took my wife’s other hand and began walking on the inner side as I have continued to do. My son was successful in getting me to do something I wouldn’t normally do because i wanted to and I understood why.

Let Others Compliment You

I came across a quote this week from Walter Payton that made me reflect on results and behaviours. For those that aren’t aware of Walter Payton, he was a running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for 13 seasons and widely regarded as one of the greatest American football players of all time. Not only was he a great athlete, he was also a dynamic leader, modelling leadership behaviours both on and off the field of play.

The quote that caught my attention was a simple one, “When you’re good at something, you’ll tell everyone. When you’re great at something, they’ll tell you.”

I reflected on the chart that I posted earlier this month. If you are living in quadrant 2 below you will go out of your way to let others know how great you are. If you are living in quadrant 1, others will go out of their way to let you know.

Walter Payton (July 25, 1954 – November 1, 1999)

Leaders Need to Model The Behavior

We are in funny period with our fight against the pandemic. It is very clear that the spread of the virus 🦠 is reduced when we reduce our mobility and congregating in large groups. Our leaders are frustrated with the public and how they will not adhere to the rules. Pause and look at what our leaders are doing. The first step in changing behaviour for any leader is to model the desired behaviour- whether you are a parent, government leader or manager. I find it almost comical that our public leaders in both government and our health industry are travelling outside of the country to visit their vacation homes or to get some time on the beach. The easiest and most important step for any leader is to model the desired behaviours. Walk the talk.