THE most successful football club in England is now Manchester United after winning the league 19 times, one more than Liverpool. It is no mean feat since the English Premier League is widely acknowledged as being the toughest to win.
Its popularity has attracted investors from America, Russia, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates. Cardiff City, playing in the league below the Premier League, counts Tan Sri Vincent Tan as an owner.
Managing a football club is a high pressure job: Aston Villa's Gerard Houllier has had two heart attacks. But United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has done it again this year, bringing his trophy haul to 36 in 25 years. He has built winning teams over and over again. Corporate Malaysia may be able to learn a thing or two from the wily Scotsman and here is what I think are the top five.
* Leadership is paramount
It was just last month that United were trailing West Ham by two goals. Ferguson did the unthinkable. He took out a defender, brought on a striker and made 37-year old left winger Ryan Giggs a left back. They won 4-2. Against Germany's Schalke in the Champions League semifinal, he used virtually the reserves team to rest the first team for a crunch game with Chelsea. United beat Schalke 4-1 and Chelsea 2-1.
Translation: Leaders must be strong enough to make decisions and follow them through. Someone has to make the tough calls for the benefit of the organisation. On the other hand, a weak leader is a big liability.
* Leaders need a good number two
On the pitch, captain Roy Keane was Ferguson personified. He leads by example, defending, attacking and scowling at team mates in equal measure. His greatest moment was 1999, semifinals of the Champions League against Italy's Juventus. With his team trailing by two goals, he was booked with a yellow card, ruling him out of playing in the final. What followed was a display of a man possessed. He scored one and pushed the team to a 3-2 win.
Translation: A good CEO/manager must have a dependable deputy. It is not just about having someone to cover during the holidays but more importantly, about having someone to bounce off ideas, to help communicate with the staff and to keep the boss on an even keel.
* No one is bigger than the team
Cristiano Ronaldo may be the best player in the world and David Beckham may have the best right foot in the world but they do not make United. Football is a team game and Ferguson knows that he can rebuild a team without star players like Ronaldo.
Translation: Managers should focus on everyone in his department, not just on a few rainmakers. Everyone has different levels of performance but it's the team performance that counts.
* Youth is always a good policy
United has the class of 1992 that produced Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers. They went on to form the core of a championship winning team in the nineties and up until today, the manager is still signing youngsters. The prolific Mexican striker Javier Hernandez is 22 while the da Silva twins from Brazil joined when they were 17.
Translation: Sometimes companies pay too much attention to hiring experienced people when young graduates could prove to be better. They are creative, eager to learn and their energy means that they can always be counted on to work hard.
* Be humble
No matter how big United are, there will be days when they would lose. Some are painful (0-1 to Leeds in first round of the FA cup) and some very hard to take (1-4 to Liverpool at Old Trafford). The important thing is to lose graciously, admit that the better side won and learn from mistakes.
Translation: Failures are setbacks and also opportunities to learn. The important thing is not to dwell on them for too long and bounce back.
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