Martin didn’t know exactly how events transpired but after that encounter at the playground, he was never bullied again. It started with a knock on a door. What bravery drives you to go to your enemy’s territory? Martin’s brother had decided to confront the bully at his house. The door was opened and it turned out to be the bully’s father. The visitor who was on a mission wasn’t fazed one bit.
He explained what had brought him there but the bully’s father was not interested. A closed-door wasn’t the end of this story but just a minor detour. This matter would be settled at the playground, like real men. Martin would never know what happened at the playground, it didn’t matter to him anyway because he was never bullied again.
Martin’s brother would not only have a major influence on his childhood but also would have one on mine. Sir Alex Ferguson the most successful football manager in Europe and arguably the world was a leader at the playground and a competent manager on the football pitch. What is there to learn from this man and other leaders about competence and leadership? Let’s get to it.
I Don’t Know What I’m Doing
After he had been sacked, it emerged that Jesse Marsch had on two occasions conveyed doubts to his seniors as to whether he was the right man for the job. I watched the story unfold on one of my favourite football shows, ESPN FC. Steve Nicol and Shaka Hislop, both dismayed that a manager of a football club can openly say that he is incompetent. They saw it as inexperience and frailty.
1 Kings 3:7
7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.
Is it easy for you to spot when you do not know enough about a subject to keep quiet and listen? With humility can you accept that you don’t have the capacity to carry out a certain duty or task? Some see it as weakness, but I see a rare quality of honesty and humility. Most lack this clarity and end up missing out on opportunities to seek help and new knowledge.
Solomon grasped the chance to gain wisdom from God by openly recognising that there was a gap to be filled. God replied, “…I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” Solomon received much more than he expected. What others see as feebleness might be a disguised occasion to gain much-needed experience.
Not my Dream Job
It was a Sunday afternoon; needless to say, it was relaxed, sunny, and good for a hearty conversation. My friend shares how her son was disappointed with his job grade. He felt that it was beneath his credentials. Feeling underutilised can be frustrating. Because of her experience, she saw opportunities that her son couldn’t, one was a chance to get valuable training. True to her word, he got a chance to train outside the country.
Sir Alex Ferguson as a toolmaker apprentice gained necessary people skills. It was never about the individual but the collective. During this time he participated in the 1960 Apprenticeship Strike. Teamwork, what a valuable skill it is for a football manager to learn. Football is a team sport after all. He would use illustrations of how different tools work when he trained his players. It is evident that this experience though not related to his end goal directly had a great impact on his leadership.
Pain is That You?
Sir Alex Ferguson came into Rangers F.C a young man with dreams and left a wounded animal. Rangers F.C were playing their rivals Celtic, and if you don’t beat Celtic that is not a good season. Rangers would lose that game by 4 goals and the blame would fall squarely on Ferguson. A team sport but in the eyes of many, only one man was to blame.
Ferguson would never play another game for the Rangers. The pain spurred him on to enter into management later on in his life. He questioned how the managers at the time led and thought he could do better. Before you accuse me of romanticising suffering, just think for a minute. Do we bring these situations on ourselves? Maybe we do but sometimes it’s not in our power to stop turmoil. What we can do is act accordingly, and if we don’t maybe we never had a dream. Luckily for Manchester United fans, Sir Alex Ferguson had a dream!
Concept of synced calendars
I borrowed this idea from Prof. John Osogo Ambani, the Dean Kabarak Law School. He tells a story of how his mother bought him a special gift after gaining a high score of A- to mark the end of his high school education. He wanted to be a lawyer but could not find any in his networks or family.
What he did after was so impressive. He made it a habit to cycle 5 kilometres away to Butali Law Courts to hopefully meet a few lawyers he could learn from. Unfortunately, most litigants were unrepresented, which left the magistrate as the only option to observe and learn from.
He describes the magistrate as being impressive, just, kind, and discerning. He would meet the magistrate 10 years later. He had synced his calendar with hers and now they spoke on the same podium and dined on the same table. She is now a Judge of the High Court and he is an Associate Professor of Law and Dean.
Great leaders have to seek out mentors like a search dog seeking out a fugitive. We can learn through observation, through direct interaction, or through books. Be in the right space and sync your calendar with the right person(s).
To Serve or be Served?
We don’t leave in a fairy tale world where every good we do bears good results. The workplace has selfless people and also selfish people. This world and all its hardships should never be an excuse to quit serving people. Leadership calls us to wash the feet of those who are under us.
Eric Cantona had this to say about Sir Alex Ferguson. “He knew exactly what I needed psychologically. More than a manager, somebody strong enough to deal with any kind of personality.” We have to connect to people on a human level. A hand over the shoulder, honest inquiry of the mental state of your employee will go a long way in making lives better and giving an incentive to work better.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
A new season has no respect for your history and offers everyone a chance to succeed. Happy Holidays.
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