Did Fergie get it wrong ?

Sir Alex Ferguson recently retired after 26 years as coach of Manchester United and one of the most successful reigns as coach, with numerous trophies and even a statue to prove it. He has become some sort of an icon for what a leader is supposed to do, and is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study. The October edition of the Harvard Business Review continues the adoration with a long article where Ferguson shares the "secrets of the worlds' greatest coach". He is now the new role model that business leaders should look up to.

His resume as coach is impeccable. But is he really such a great leader, and an example for leaders business ? A lot is written about his management style. But what about the team he has left behind ? Isn't a great leader supposed to leave behind a great team ? It is too early to say how the new season will work out for Manchester United, but the start has been everything but impressive. Now, this is not because the new coach tried to change things around. In fact, it is quite the contrary: David Moyes tries his very best not to change anything to the winning formula that Sir Alex has left behind. But for some reason, things seem to be anything but smooth.

Was Sir Alex a leader who put his team in front, who created trust between his players, delegated and made the players commit themselves fully ? Or was it all about himself; making every decision, micro-managing and seeing his solution as the only possible option ? I was never in the dressing room so I can not tell for sure.

Steven Jobs has left an impressive legacy of innovative products and services (I'm using several of them). But has he left behind a sustainable company and a strong team at Apple ? Or was it really all about him ? Here again, we probably need to wait for a few years, but if the only thing Apple can come up with is bigger/smaller/thinner/thicker/different colored versions of its existing products, the company's innovative image and luster will quickly fade.

A great leader should be judged by the results, but also by how his team or company (or football club) fares after he is no longer at the helm. When a team continues to excel during 2 or 3 years after the charismatic leader has left, then the claim of greatness - greatness of creating an enduring enterprise - can be made. Otherwise, we maybe were enjoying a one-man show.

David Gill, the former CEO of Manchester United, is quoted in the introduction to the HBR article, as saying "Steve Jobs was Apple; Sir Alex Ferguson is Manchester United." So what is Apple when Jobs has passed away ? And what is Manchester United when Ferguson retires ? Good questions indeed.