He understood people. He wouldn’t treat two players the same. Blanket treatment isn’t the best way to treat a team. Everyone’s different, everyone takes advice differently. Everyone takes criticism differently. And that’s why the leader or manager needs to know the individuals. This was one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s greatest traits. He knew everything

To my surprise, every Manchester United player I’ve spoken to and interviewed said Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t care about tactics, strategies and formations. He cared primarily about getting the best out of each individual, the team’s culture and their attitude; he didn’t want them ever to become complacent.

Being a really good listener is one of the most key things. When I sit around listening to the Elders talk in meetings, I realize they’ve become Elders because they spent their lifetimes listening and absorbing and then only speaking by choosing their words carefully. Another key thing is loving people—a genuine love of everybody, and looking for t