What Does it Take to Build and Maintain Exceptional Teams?

On the day that Chelsea played Manchester United in Moscow, I began to wonder what it takes to stay at the top of one’s game? I was curious about Alex Ferguson and the traits that have made him so exceptional as a football manager. And was there anything that we might learn from him? Here are my thoughts…

Personal Drive: Ferguson never gives in. He refuses to accept defeat and he has infused his United teams with the same attitude - they just keep going to the final whistle. It is because of this that United have scored so many late goals down the years, rather than leaving it to pure luck. Even when he has a success under his belt, he never rests. He is always looking to the future. And he is not afraid to start all over again when that moment of victory has gone.

Tactics/Strategy: Ferguson is a manager who is not afraid to follow his instincts or to take a gamble. His instincts, whether it be luck or some sort of intuition, always seem to be right. From an early age, Ferguson was exposed to the Scottish working-class work ethic of hard graft and toil. He has instilled that same hard work ethic into Manchester United. No team works harder than Fergie's United.

Player Management/Psychology: Alex Ferguson is probably the greatest motivator in European football. Player motivation is a finely balanced art. Too much of it every day and it can eventually have no effect, and the constant pressure of it can also destroy players.
He will always gets the best out of his players and demand 100%.

His handling of United's young stars has also been first class, protecting the likes of Giggs from frenzied media attention. In the Cantona "kung-fu kick" incident, Beckham's 1998 World Cup ordeal and Ronaldo after the 2006 World Cup, he stuck by his players and supported them through the difficult times, which in the end they repaid him with great comeback performances.

Ferguson will rarely attack his players in public or in the media. If they have under-performed or done something stupid, he will leave his criticism to behind closed doors. He can also be ruthless. If it is for the good of the team Ferguson will not hesitate to swing the axe. Fergie's rivals fear and respect him above all other managers.

His achievements at United and Aberdeen make him the most successful British manager ever, on the continent only Giovanni Trapattoni, Fabio Cappello and Ottmar Hitzfeld can even come close. The Glazer family knew it needed him on their side when they launched their takeover. They could not incur the wrath of the man who built a dynasty.

• So, what are you building with your team?


• How will you be remembered as a manager?


• What is the one thing that you want to do differently? And what’s the first step to making that happen?

Why not let me know what you intend to change by sending me an e-mail at: olwyn@pure-potential.co.uk?

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