This document summarizes Sir Alex Ferguson's leadership styles and achievements as the manager of Manchester United. It describes how Ferguson demonstrated visionary, autocratic, transformational, pacesetting, coaching, affiliative, participative, and delegative leadership. Through adapting his style to different situations and players, Ferguson led Manchester United to unprecedented success, including 13 Premier League titles and 2 UEFA Champions League trophies.
1. “ If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and
become more, you are a leader. ”
2. • Leadership is the ability to develop a vision that
motivates others to move with a passion toward a
common goal.
• So, leadership is a process by which a person
influences others to accomplish an objective and
directs the organization in a way that makes it more
cohesive and coherent.
• In managerial terms,it is the ability to make sound
decisions by instilling confidence in others and
getting the best out of them.
3. • Factors
– Leader - The one who takes charge , commands a group ,
sets an example for other to follow .
– Follower - The one who lacks motivation, needs a leader
to guide him / her to achieve goals .
– Communication – It can be verbal or non-verbal .
Listening and observing and doing things wants your
leader wants from you .
– Situation – Different situations demands different
solutions , these are the decisions from which you judge a
leader .
4. • Cultivate a coaching mindset;
• More effectively develop your own and others’ talents;
• Increase your ability to turn data into insights into action;
• Improve the overall productivity and success of high-performing teams;
• Understand how to make key leadership transitions more effectively in
your career;
• Gain insight into your own leadership brand and how to maximize your
brand to execute your personal strategy; and
• Enhance your leadership skills.
5. • AUTOCRATIC LEADER
– The authoritarian leader makes decisions alone as power is centralized in one person.
Decisions are enforced using rewards and the fear of punishment. it is an abusive,
unprofessional style called “bossing people around.”
• DEMOCRATIC LEADER
– The participative leader include one or more employees in the decision making process.
Communication flow freely; suggestions are made in both directions. The participation
encourages member commitment to the final decision.
• LAISSEZ-FAIRE LEADER
– The free-rein leader gives power to subordinates to make the decisions. However, the
leader is still responsible for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees
are able to analyze the situation. Deligative style is generally not useful.
6.
7. • Alex Ferguson was born on
December 31, 1941, in
Glasgow, Scotland.
• He made a name for
himself playing soccer for
Dunfermline Athletic.
• He went on to manage
Aberdeen FC to great
success.
• He was hired in 1986 to
run Manchester United,
leading the league to win
a slew of high-profile
championship titles.
8. Achievements at Manchester United
• Premier League (13): 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97,
1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08,
2008-09, 2010-11, 2012-13.
• FA Cup (5): 1989-90, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1998-99, 2003-04.
• League Cup (4): 1991-92, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10.
• Charity/Community Shield (10): 1990 (shared), 1993, 1994,
1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011.
• Champions League (2): 1998-99, 2007-08.
• European Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1990-91.
• European Super Cup (1): 1991.
• Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999.
• FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008.
9. Ferguson's Leadership Approaches
• Sir Alex Ferguson assumed the duties in Manchester United
in 1986 and his first challenge was to align the club towards
the Middle of the road and then to drive towards the Team
leader status.
• Sir Alex Ferguson did revolutionary changes in attitudes of
club players in disciplinary code, composition and
combination of players and comprehensive training
schemes etc., to uplift the levels of the players and
reputation of the club.
• All such approaches reflects combination of diverse
leadership skills concentrated in him and degree of
accuracy in applying correct leadership mix at most
appropriate time on point of pain.
10. Ferguson’s visionary leadership
• Sir Alex Ferguson demonstrated his visionary leadership skills by
focusing on turning club from country club to team leader status,
focus on young players and improving sports science, medical, and
other facilities in the club.
• Few examples:
– selecting thirteen-year-old Ryan Giggs, who would go on to become
one of the greatest British footballers of all time
– investing $2.1 million for the French striker Eric Cantona in 1993, a
player with a reputation for lacking discipline and being a
troublemaker
– introducing vests fitted with GPS systems that enabled an analysis of a
player’s physical performance after the training.
• One of the other facts pointed in the article shows his visionary
leadership is his strategy in training, he said,“We don’t start the
preseason training at one hundred miles an hour.”
11. Ferguson’s Autocratic /Commanding
leadership
• Ferguson has taken some bold decisions to change culture and sold
fan favorites Paul McGrath and Norman Whiteside are good
examples for his Autocratic and Commanding leadership.
• He had a wider scope of control than any other manager in the EPL
and he was the ultimate decision-maker on almost every football-
related aspect at United to elaborate his commanding leadership
approach in turning the club.
• He grabbed the high level of control over all of the club’s football
and administrative functions to achieve his vision through his
commanding and autocratic leadership approach.
• Ferguson quotes “They need to work harder than anyone else. And
if they can no longer bring the discipline that we ask for here at
United, they are out.”
12. Ferguson’s Transformational
Leadership
• Ferguson as a manager always set high
expectations on players and consistently
motivated them to reach the preset goals.
• For his accomplishments, the Queen of England
appointed Ferguson to the Order of the British
Empire (OBE).
• One another good example for his
Transformational leadership is winning five
matches in a row after departure of fan –favorites
and massive defeat to Aston Villa in 1995
13. Ferguson’s Transformational
Leadership
• Ferguson was a leader who actively involved
transforming players to higher energy levels. He
constantly mentor individuals and next, to the
whole team.
• He explained players how to form a perfect team
and let players take an active role in motivating
teammates.
• Ferguson said “for a player-and for any human
being- there is nothing better than hearing ‘well
done’
14. Ferguson’s Pacesetting Leadership
• Ferguson’s passion is keep focuses on performance,
meeting goals and always expect excellence from his
players.
• He believed constant development of players applying
Six Sigma and Kaizen like proven tools.
• He entertains his high Performance coaching strategies
and expected to reflected rich output from the players
too. He never entertains poor performances, only look
maintain high Performances.
• Ferguson said “It was about building a club, not just a
team.”
15. Ferguson’s Pacesetting Leadership
• Good example for his pacesetting leadership was signed off on the departures of
three fan-favorite senior players-and made no major acquisitions to replace them.
Instead, on the new season’s opening day, six out of the thirteen players used
came from United’s youth development program, including David Beckham, Gary
Neville, and Paul Scholes
• Another good example for his pacesetting leadership skill found In 1999 for the
first time in eight attempts, United had reached the final of the Champions
League. The club faced a tough task against German champions Bayern Munich,
which took the lead after just six minutes. Seeing the prized trophy slip away
before his eyes, Ferguson reminded his players at halftime of what was at stake,
telling them, “When that cup is going to be presented just remember that you
can’t even touch it if you’re the losers—you’ll be walking past it with your loser’s
medals, knowing someone walking behind you is going lift the cup.”
• A player later recalled Ferguson’s words as “one of those inspirational speeches
that turn fearful men into world beaters. Ultimately, United had grabbed victory
from the jaws of defeat. Ferguson was a veteran footballer, he knew that game can
be change in favor of them in few minutes if maintain the proper pace at right
time. Thus Ferguson’s pacesetting leadership he capitalized in wherever possible,
especially, the 15- minute break between the game’s two 45-minutes.
16. Ferguson’s Coaching Leadership
• Ferguson is a leader who always looked for strong solidarity
and player’s synergy to form a mush stable club culture. He
kept constant focuses with current performance set and
trained youngsters focusing on long-term life goals and
aligning them towards club objectives
• Sir Alex Ferguson was a good coach and he has
demonstrated his coaching leadership for more than
quarter century in football
• Ferguson said “No one likes to get criticized, But in the
football dressing room, it’s necessary that you point out
your players’ mistakes. I do it right after the game. I don’t
wait until Monday, I do it, and it’s finished.”
17. Ferguson’s Affiliative Leadership
• Ferguson was a leader who always looked to promote
harmony within the team and, connects players together
and encouraging all of them to achieves club goals.
• Resolving player’s issues and keep them motivated in
through a stressful time really contributed to United’s long
term success.
• In Ferguson’s affiliation leadership style much prominence
has given to motivation in and out the ground. He used to
address players individually and the whole team, I like to
tell different stories, and use my imagination. But generally,
it is about our expectations, their belief in themselves, and
their trust in each other.
18. Ferguson’s Participative/Democratic
leadership
• Ferguson has demonstrated consultative, player
oriented, relationship oriented and participative
leadership skills too in his quarter century long
administration.
• Ferguson wanted foster relationship among
players, thus we wanted players to play active
role in motivating teammates
• Ferguson has given room to build constructive
criticism within the club and come up with their
views and solutions to resolve problems and
lapses, this illustrates his democratic approaches
in problem solving
19. Ferguson’s Delegative leadership
• Ferguson has demonstrated some delegative
leadership skills too in his administration.
• Ferguson had delegated more of the training
sessions to his assistants over the years and
Ferguson concentrated more on players and
their performance.
20. Ferguson’s situational leadership styles
• Ferguson’s leadership styles spread over a large
spectrum staring from S2 to S4.
• He had to deal with youngsters who were very
new to the football as well as professional
footballers. Thus he had to adjust leadership style
to address the requirements of diverse maturity
levels from M2 to M4.
• Ferguson’s first team players belongs to maturity
level M3 and M4, thus in many occasions
Ferguson managed to driven the team towards
success.
21. Ferguson’s leadership level
• Ferguson’s leadership always focused on
reproduction of success and position players
comfortable and well.
• Ferguson looked for respect and players follow
him because of his excellence and what his
produce for the club.
• All players from youngsters to professional
players respect him due to his proven success as
their manager. Thus Ferguson’s leadership levels
were more close to pinnacle (level5) but also
have some characteristics of level 4.
22. FERGUSON’S FORMULA
1. Start with the Foundation
2. Dare to Rebuild Your Team
3. Set High Standards—and Hold Everyone to
Them
4. Never, Ever Cede Control
5. Match the Message to the Moment
6. Prepare to Win
7. Rely on the Power of Observation
8. Never Stop Adapting
24. SUMMARY
• This presentation illustrates Ferguson’s inborn leadership
approaches and how such talents driven Manchester United to the
ultimate success. True leaders only can do such revolution changes
especially with people having diverse abilities and especially under
unfavorable grounds.
• Ferguson faced diverse challengers like polarizing players in one
direction, making victorious mindset and establishes confidence in
them, expose players to rigorous exercises, taking the club to the
pinnacle and many more. Ferguson is a visionary leader and had all
other leadership styles to reach the required pace he wanted and
maintain required scale of momentum to reach his dreams.
• Ferguson as the manager demonstrated his autocratic and
commanding leadership nature when he wanted to exert power on
other to set targets on them and he took most appropriate
initiatives via his affiliative and pacesetting leadership skills to
shape players to his frame
25. SUMMARY
• He execute his born talents in transformational
leadership to reshape the talents and attitudes of
the players.
• He used his pacesetting approaches to set players
to overcome critical situation and maintain
required momentum all the time.
• Ferguson used his participative leadership to
solve issues in players and his delegative
leadership skills to delegate responsibilities to
assistant coaches.
