Manchester United Football Club, a professional football club based in Old Trafford, England, enjoyed great success between 1986 and 2013, as evidenced by their 38 domestic and non-domestic trophies.

With the trophies came scrutiny. The British and world media were fascinated by the leadership at Manchester United.

There were tales of the manager shouting at players in the dressing room with such ferocity that it was referred to as the “hairdryer treatment.” One journalist stated from personal experience that this treatment was not reserved just for the players. High expectations were not restricted to the football pitch. When the captain openly criticized his teammates in an interview, his contract was terminated. While these make for good headlines, they do not reveal the whole story.

Is it really possible to lead an organization effectively for over a quarter of a century just by having the loudest voice and a fearsome reputation? How did Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United FC for those 26 years lead his team so effectively?

When Ferguson joined Manchester United in 1986, he had very definite ideas about how he was going to build his club.

Planning for long-term success, he set about changing the very culture of the club—which was no small task. He tackled a damaging drinking culture head-on and encouraged a strong work ethic of being the first into the office and last to leave. To increase the players’ feeling of commitment and belonging, he insisted that they should dress as Manchester United, wearing blazers displaying the club badge, when representing the club.

These all contributed to his vision.

David Gill, the club’s former chief executive, has compared Alex Ferguson to Steve Jobs. There are some obvious similarities: both men were driven, determined, often terrifying,

and ultimately extremely successful leaders in highly competitive arenas. However, while Jobs had an unapologetically blunt and aggressive approach, Ferguson would vary his managing style, shouting at some players and taking a different approach with others. This approach could seem arbitrary and inconsistent but was actually a conscious choice made by a manager who really knew his players and understood how to get the best out of each one. When it was necessary to instill discipline in players to ensure a positive working relationship, Ferguson would deal with the issue immediately and move on.

Ferguson knew the importance of detail. As a manager,

knowing the names of your team is obviously essential, but he understood that the organization was bigger than the team, so he learned the names of all the support staff and took time to talk to them. One interviewer commented that by the end of a filming session Ferguson had learned the name of the film crew and was happy to converse with them while sharing a bottle of champagne.

In 2014, Ferguson took up a teaching post in executive education with Harvard Business School, and his book Leading was published in 2015.

Discussion Questions 1. What leadership theories do you feel Ferguson’s actions support?

2. What leadership traits do you see being demonstrated in the case?

3. To what degree has emotional intelligence played a part in Alex Ferguson’s success?

4. What do you see as the possible problems of varying the leadership approach with different players?