What Sir Alex Ferguson can teach us about leadership

The above is the title of a link on today’s BBC news website.

Until Ferguson’s new book came out, we thought we knew about his approach to leadership. Indeed, the BBC story carries his definition of leadership (paraphrased by Nick Robinson): “Leadership ... is a quality which allows your personality to transfer to everyone.”

His disdain for officialdom, his readiness to bully and even use violence, are well-known. Day after day he slagged off referees: and to no-one’s surprise, his players followed suit. Most notoriously, during a match in January 2000, Roy Keane led a lynch-mob of five players who pursued ref Andy D’Urso, shouting in his face and threatening to push him over.

Again, in 2003 Sir Alex famously threw or kicked a football boot into David Beckham’s face. Knowing this, we were less surprised about Roy Keane’s revenge “tackle” a year or two earlier which effectively ended Alf-Inge Haaland’s career. Or Eric Cantona's kung fu assault on a fan in 1995. (Ooh! Aah! Cantonese.)

Ferguson’s personality was also transferred to the behaviour of his players when on international duty. Beckham and Rooney famously lashed out at opponents, perhaps imagining that referees would quail from action as they did in the Premiership. Cristiano Ronaldo limited himself to some judicious play-acting, with more wisdom but with equal dishonour. And who can forget Roy Keane’s vicious mutiny against Mick McCarthy during the 2002 World Cup?

But Ferguson’s new book shows another aspect of his leadership. Bored or dissatisfied with having a go at referees, he is slagging off those who most loyally served him: such as Roy Keane (whom I thoroughly dislike for his role in events described above, but who does not deserve this from Fergie of all people) and David Beckham.

I’m reminded of Ray Illingworth, English cricket’s chicken supremo, who, during the 1995-96 tour of South Africa, laid into bowler Devon Malcolm. He carefully did this from a distance: sat in his armchair at home, like a WWI general, while his troops slogged it in a distant trench. Likewise Ferguson did not make his comments while in post, but carefully waited till he was no longer required to meet players or press face-to-face.

To say such things at all shows indifference to morale at Manchester United. But maybe he is acting with purpose: for if the club quickly fails without him, he has all the more cemented his personal legacy.

In short, the things Sir Alex Ferguson can teach me about leadership, I do not wish to know.