If
you had a chance to interview him, what would you ask the man who many
regard as the best coach in the history of European football, and
perhaps sports as a whole? I can imagine many fans have pondered that
question, but last year it took on greater relevance for me.
That's
because in what turned out to be Sir Alex Ferguson's last eighteen
months in charge at Manchester United, my former student Tom Dye and I
had a unique opportunity to study the legendary coach's leadership
approach. We were able to conduct lengthy interviews with the man
himself, we followed him around as he went about his daily activities on
United's training ground, we saw him in action at the stadium, we
interviewed several players, and we spoke with many people around him,
from the club's kit manager to the chief executive officer. Not your
average academic research project, in other words.
We captured some of our initial findings in a case study, released last fall (see here and here and here for some media coverage). Today, the Harvard Business Review
published a second result of the study: an article, titled "Ferguson's
Formula" and co-authored with Sir Alex, in which he provides his
perspective on eight critical leadership lessons, offering unique
insights into what it takes to build and manage teams.
I obviously can't reproduce the full article here -- it is available through the Harvard Business Review 's website
-- but I thought it might be helpful to list the lessons, and for each
lesson select one quote that I found especially insightful. Here we go:
Lesson 1. Start with the Foundation
"When
you give young people a chance, you not only create a longer life span
for the team, you also create loyalty. They will always remember that
you were the manager who gave them their first opportunity."
Lesson 2. Dare to Rebuild Your Team
"The
hardest thing is to let go of a player who has been a great guy -- but
all the evidence is on the field. If you see the change, the
deterioration, you have to ask yourself what things are going to be like
two years ahead."
Lesson 3. Set High Standards -- and Hold Everyone To Them
"I
constantly told my squad that working hard all your life is a talent.
But I expected even more from the star players. I expected them to work
even harder."
Lesson 4. Never, Ever Cede Control
"There
are occasions when you have to ask yourself whether certain players are
affecting the dressing-room atmosphere, the performance of the team,
and your control of the players and the staff. If they are, you have to
cut the cord."
Lesson 5. Match the Message to the Moment
"For
a player -- for any human being -- there is nothing better than hearing
'Well done.' Those are the two best words ever invented."
Lesson 6. Prepare to Win
"I
am a gambler—a risk taker—and you can see that in how we played in the
late stages of matches. ... If we were still down—say, 1–2—with 15
minutes to go, I was ready to take more risks. I was perfectly happy to
lose 1–3 if it meant we’d given ourselves a good chance to draw or to
win. So in those last 15 minutes, we’d go for it."
Lesson 7. Rely on the Power of Observation
"I
came to see observation as a critical part of my management skills. The
ability to see things is key -- or, more specifically, the ability to
see things you don't expect to see."
Lesson 8. Never Stop Adapting
"Most people with my kind of track record don't look to change. But I always felt I couldn't afford not to change."
Anita Elberse is the Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. She is the author of a book, Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment, (in stores next month but available to pre-order now), and faculty chair of an HBS Executive Education program, “The Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports.”
If
you had a chance to interview him, what would you ask the man who many
regard as the best coach in the history of European football, and
perhaps sports as a whole? I can imagine many fans have pondered that
question, but last year it took on greater relevance for me.
That's
because in what turned out to be Sir Alex Ferguson's last eighteen
months in charge at Manchester United, my former student Tom Dye and I
had a unique opportunity to study the legendary coach's leadership
approach. We were able to conduct lengthy interviews with the man
himself, we followed him around as he went about his daily activities on
United's training ground, we saw him in action at the stadium, we
interviewed several players, and we spoke with many people around him,
from the club's kit manager to the chief executive officer. Not your
average academic research project, in other words.
We captured some of our initial findings in a case study, released last fall (see here and here and here for some media coverage). Today, the Harvard Business Review
published a second result of the study: an article, titled "Ferguson's
Formula" and co-authored with Sir Alex, in which he provides his
perspective on eight critical leadership lessons, offering unique
insights into what it takes to build and manage teams.
I obviously can't reproduce the full article here -- it is available through the Harvard Business Review 's website
-- but I thought it might be helpful to list the lessons, and for each
lesson select one quote that I found especially insightful. Here we go:
Lesson 1. Start with the Foundation
"When
you give young people a chance, you not only create a longer life span
for the team, you also create loyalty. They will always remember that
you were the manager who gave them their first opportunity."
Lesson 2. Dare to Rebuild Your Team
"The
hardest thing is to let go of a player who has been a great guy -- but
all the evidence is on the field. If you see the change, the
deterioration, you have to ask yourself what things are going to be like
two years ahead."
Lesson 3. Set High Standards -- and Hold Everyone To Them
"I
constantly told my squad that working hard all your life is a talent.
But I expected even more from the star players. I expected them to work
even harder."
Lesson 4. Never, Ever Cede Control
"There
are occasions when you have to ask yourself whether certain players are
affecting the dressing-room atmosphere, the performance of the team,
and your control of the players and the staff. If they are, you have to
cut the cord."
Lesson 5. Match the Message to the Moment
"For
a player -- for any human being -- there is nothing better than hearing
'Well done.' Those are the two best words ever invented."
Lesson 6. Prepare to Win
"I
am a gambler—a risk taker—and you can see that in how we played in the
late stages of matches. ... If we were still down—say, 1–2—with 15
minutes to go, I was ready to take more risks. I was perfectly happy to
lose 1–3 if it meant we’d given ourselves a good chance to draw or to
win. So in those last 15 minutes, we’d go for it."
Lesson 7. Rely on the Power of Observation
"I
came to see observation as a critical part of my management skills. The
ability to see things is key -- or, more specifically, the ability to
see things you don't expect to see."
Lesson 8. Never Stop Adapting
"Most people with my kind of track record don't look to change. But I always felt I couldn't afford not to change."
Anita Elberse is the Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. She is the author of a book, Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment, (in stores next month but available to pre-order now), and faculty chair of an HBS Executive Education program, “The Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports.”
When
it comes to helping people improve their lives there is nobody in the
game with stronger credentials than Tony Robbins. The “Michael Jordan”
of thought leaders, Tony has affected millions of people around the
world through his performance coaching.
Tony has certainly made an impact on me. Last year Marc Benioff invited him to be the closing keynote at Dreamforce,
the largest software event in the world. There he laid down sales
coaching like I’ve never seen. Through his books, videos, and
presentations, Tony gave us each new insights into effective selling.
Tony empowers his readers and audience to improve themselves. So we’ve
scoured the web and found source after source of his advice:
6 LESSONS FROM TONY ROBBINS:
#1 Know Your Purpose
In your day-to-day sales world, you MUST have a sense of meaning.
Walking into the office, grabbing a coffee, checking your email, and
taking your day “on the fly” is just not gonna get it done. When you’re
at the office everyday you have got to know what you’re going to get
done that day. Knowing your purpose will make the biggest impact you can
imagine.
# 2 Give positive meaning to everything
The sales rep’s life is all about risks. The more you take the more
you win (and lose). It’s how you respond to the losses that makes you
special. Keeping a positive attitude, regardless of the issue, will keep
your head in the game and ready for the next opportunity.
#3 Realize that everything you do has a consequence
A sales rep's interactions with customers can either be positive or
negative. There’s no neutral in sales. Every action you take matters.
It’s not just about being on your best behavior, it’s about knowing your
strengths and lining them up to reach your desired outcome.
#4 Know that everyone is unique, different, and amazing
Sales is a competitive world where people put themselves on the line
every day. They often get shot down. Looking at the world through the
lens that everyone has meaning will positively affect every facet of
your performance. Don’t get deflated when buyers and competitors don’t
behave like you want.
#5 Be driven by your desire for adventure
What drives you? Your past? Your competitors? Or even your fears? Or
are you focused on your successes - on solving the next client problem
and taking the next step for your company? It’s important to know what
moves us and makes us do what we do.
#6 Expect the unexpected
What are you going to do when something unexpected happens in sales?
By the way, something crazy always happens in sales. Why do you think
we’re always the storytelling life of the party? When any situation
arises, it’s important to respond with the right action that helps you
solve a customer problem and take the next step.
