This article is by Vikram Banerjee,  click to subscribe to his articles.

Sir Clive notched up 12 consecutive victories home and away against South Africa, Australia and New Zealand en route to winning a World Cup, finishing with a 71 per cent success rate across his seven-year, 83-match stint in charge.

“My only goal when I took over was for England to be the best team in the world.”

2003 truly was a glittering year for Sir Clive. He had taken charge of the national side six seasons ago and his ‘Five Year Business Plan’ was completed in November 2003 – with interest! Before the single point defeat by France in August 2003 under his direction, England achieved the best sequence in their history 14 straight Test Wins with back-to-back victories over Australia and New Zealand on their own soil. The side set a championship record of 29 tries in 2000-01, they had made Twickenham a Fortress with 23 consecutive matches unbeaten at one venue and then in 2003 took the Grand Slam and the finest prize of all, the ‘Rugby World Cup’ in Australia.

It was the climax of a period in which he revolutionised the way the squad was run – famously switching hotels on tour in South Africa in 1998 and paying the bill with his own Amex card, embracing advanced technology, providing clean shirts and shorts for the players at half-time, insisting that the players are in their seats 10 minutes before the start of meetings, banishing mobile phones, sweeping the team’s quarters for surveillance equipment, and blending humanity with ruthlessness in his approach to the hardest part of the job, which is the business of telling eight members of the squad that they will play no part in a big match. In the process, he has picked up inspiration from trips to the University of Colorado’s gridiron coaches and the Australian Institute for Sport, from a self-improvement book written by a formerly suicidal dentist and, not least, from his own background in running a successful business in a competitive environment.

Woodward argues such “critical non-essentials” make a huge difference in business, sport and, indeed, life. The only motivational-type book he has read twice, he says, was written by the aforementioned dentist, Dr Paddi Lund, whom Woodward met by chance while living in Australia in the 1980s.

Dentists, apparently, are more prone to suicide than other professions and Lund got as far as preparing to jump off a bridge into the Brisbane River before deciding there was an alternative. He returned to his surgery, informed 95% of his clients he would not be treating them in future and asked the 5% of patients whose company he enjoyed to refer him to their friends.

Lund’s subsequent book about becoming the most successful dentist in Australia – Building the Happiness Centred Business – preaches a happy working environment as the only way to go. It made a huge impression on Woodward, who ran a successful computer-leasing business before taking the England job.

Woodward has said his biggest take away from his time in business was “Teamship”.  The leader should define their expectations and vision – whether this is around attitude or outcomes and then let the team explain the meaning and present back so there is 100% buy in and accountability.

In order to create teamship, and successful teams, Woodward is a big advocate of needing more than pure talent. Talent is the foundation but not a differentiator; you need more than that to beat the competition. Talent is below the line of excellence. Raw skill is necessary, but on its own, it’s too unpredictable to create a winning team.

Woodward has outlined the four steps required to produce a winning culture, which I feel we can all learn from, regardless the sector in which we lead.  Strong teams need not only talent, but also Learning, performance under pressure and hard work.

What he calls “teachability” is crucial.  Individuals need to be “sponges not stones” with a desire for lifelong learning. In business teachability may be enough to differentiate most members of the team, especially if you capture and share the knowledge gained. Their willingness to learn and accumulate knowledge around their role will give them the awareness of what they need to do to continually improve on what they already have. New people become students easily. It’s maintaining that thirst for knowledge that becomes more difficult. Often it’s more experienced members who put a block on their learning and they are the biggest risk to creating a winning culture.

The next step is “Building Warriors”. Warriors are his term for those team members who can perform under pressure.  Thinking correctly under pressure is developed not innate and learnt through practice and preparation.  Setting up a “war room” and considering all possible scenarios so you have practiced and made the decision before it is required in a real world situation gives you an advantage by being ready for all eventualities.  This is important in business and not just sport.

“Winners perform at their best when the pressure is greatest”.

It’s the job of the leader to constantly put their teams under pressure. People aren’t born to perform under pressure. They need to get used to it, because only the winners perform their best under pressure. Woodward creates a war room where the team constantly goes through hypothetical situations under time pressure to reach a decision. Leaders have to systematically work through every eventuality so that the team has already gone through the thought processes needed to overcome them. This reduces the chances of coming up against something unexpected in the real world, allowing the team to use the little time they may have to think through the problem.

The final step in the pyramid is Will.  Winning cultures must have the commitment to win. It’s about the attitude they display. Sir Clive Woodward breaks this down into three parts;

1. Obsession with the task; Individuals focus on attention to detail and have an uncompromising level of excellence,
2. Responsibility: A readiness to take tasks on as their job and make sure they are seen through
3. Enjoyment or fun; Team members have to enjoy what they are doing, as well as ask themselves whether their colleagues enjoy working with them, and why.

Woodward has been quoted as saying Lund’s book and “Happiness Centred Businesses” informs his entire management style. He says he would be “horrified” if people did not enjoy being in the England set-up, stressing the importance of thinking not so much laterally as differently – “there are no rules in rugby” – and unmasking those who do not.

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Having a truly talented group of individuals in your company or players in your squad no doubt helps, but it takes more than just talent to create a world-class team. Leadership, be it of a business or a sports team, requires certain critical characteristics for success. These characteristics are easy to learn or to coach. How well do you measure up against them?

Brian Clough

What lessons can we learn from my next nominee for the greatest sporting leader: one of the most charismatic and successful football managers the beautiful game has ever witnessed.

This article is by Vikram Banerjee,  click to subscribe to his articles.

Clough walked a tightrope between genius and madness, sometimes falling off, but his achievements are irrefutable, and no one can begrudge his legendary conceit. When he took Derby County from the second division to become champions of English football in 1972, he proved that success is not always about having deeper pockets than your opponents, but man-management and strong leadership could prevail.

As a player, Brian Clough was a prolific striker for Middlesbrough and Sunderland in the late 1950s and early 1960s. However, all of his goals were all in the lower leagues and he only managed to gain two full England caps. Unfortunately his playing career was brought to an early end after a bad collision with the Bury goalkeeper in 1962.

Soon after, in 1965, Clough took his first manager’s job at Fourth Division Hartlepool United and appointed Peter Taylor as his assistant. This was the start of an enduring partnership that would bring them success at numerous clubs over the next two decades.

The first example of their success was with Derby County.  In 1967 both Taylor and Clough moved on to Derby County, who were then in the Second Division. In the very next season, Clough took them to success as Second Division champions and promotion. Three years later, Derby were crowned champions of England for the first time in the club’s history, and in 1973 they reached the semi-finals of the European Cup.

The second example of Clough impressive record came shortly afterwards in 1975. At this point Clough had joined sleepy Nottingham Forest who were near the bottom of the Second Division, re-uniting with Taylor in 1976. This was a return to winning ways, as Forest were promoted in 1977 and the following season won the league title for the first time in the club’s history. This made Clough one of only four managers to have won the English league with two different clubs.

Forest also won two consecutive European Cups (in 1979 and 1980) and two League Cups (1978 and 1979). Clough retired from football in 1993, after Forest were relegated from the Premier League.

On the face of it, Brian Clough defied all good leadership models. After all, where in the manual does it say to routinely embarrass and humiliate your chairman or tell your star team to disregard all they’ve previously won?

However, in many respects, he was actually a model leader, understanding that he needed to vary his leadership style to fit the situation in order to achieve results. His outspokenness was part of the gift. Clough knew that leadership wasn’t about an endless stream of bland, abstract jargon with which no one could disagree. Sometimes it is in everyone’s advantage to know exactly where they stand.

He could understand when an individual, or team, needed a kick or when they needed an arm round their shoulder and a reminder that they had “more talent in their big toe than the whole of the opposition team put together.”

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Clough epitomised self-confidence, a vital cog in dealing with adversity, such as the adversity many businesses are under today. Brian Clough can be considered as one of the very best in the business at a visionary style of leadership, especially when we consider his ability to inspire struggling second-tier teams to believe that they could win the Championship or European Cup. Clough used his vision setting to develop a strong performance culture within each of his teams.

He believed in discipline, having control of everything football related, but most of all he was a motivator. He was an excellent communicator, creating belief in his players. And even though it didn’t look like it to the cameras, he has excellent interpersonal skills in knowing how to deal with people. Some he would challenge and motivate to produce their best; others he would take under his wing and build their confidence.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day. But I wasn’t on that particular job.”

Brain Clough on getting things done.

Ian Botham

Thirty-two years ago, a cricket match entered sporting folklore. The 1981 Ashes series has almost become the definition of underdogs battling the odds to come out victorious. England lost the first test, drew the second, and found their talismanic all-rounder Ian Botham crippled by the burden of captaincy. Only after Botham failed with the bat in the second test did England make the bold and, as it turned out, inspired move to recall as captain a man whose batting was less than inspirational, but whose leadership has become legendary.

You couldn’t pose a more severe test of a leader than this. To begin your leadership stint in the middle of a series, with the side already trailing, a side which has played unconvincingly in the previous two games and your predecessor as captain is still in the side. How can you succeed as a leader in these tough situations?

This article is by Vikram Banerjee,  click to subscribe to his articles.

The answer has become sporting history. Mike Brearley’s team, playing at Headingley in 1981, achieved perhaps the most remarkable victory ever won on an English cricket pitch. In terms of runs and wickets, the victory was achieved by the man Brearley replaced as captain – Ian Botham. At first thought, the idea of the deposed leader giving one of the greatest all-round performances of all time in the very next match seems out of all question.

Key to this astonishing comeback was Brearley’s reinvigoration of Botham, using a combination of carrot and stick. Before the match Brearley said that Botham would score a century and take 12 wickets; then, when Botham was bowling hesitantly, Brearley withdrew him from the attack and dubbed him the “sidestep queen” to goad him into action. Then, when Botham went in to bat, Brearley told him to “go for it, enjoy yourself.”

Botham has called Brearley ‘by a long way the best captain I’ve played under.’ Like all great leaders, Brearley seemed ‘to bring out the best in everybody around him’, creating in the side the ‘willingness to win – everybody wants to do well for him.’

He was able to get the best from his teams, because the players believed in his genuine concern for them as individuals and players, and for the welfare of the team as a whole. The key was his total commitment to the success of players and team alike, together with lack of concern for his own image, performance and benefits. He made time for others as individuals and was attentive to their requirements – something which many business leaders fail to do.

As General MacArthur once observed, the greatest asset which a leader can have is the care of the people under his command and the ability to show that care. That must, of course, be accompanied by technical mastery of the job – and Brearley was without question an astute tactical captain, who had served a long and fruitful apprenticeship in the game.

The foundation of success was Brearley’s desire to understand his players and hence their interaction as a team. It was almost a matter of curiosity. Brealey spent inordinate time, especially on tour, communicating with his players, whenever and wherever he could: changing room, field of play, anywhere. Within that communication, a great deal of Brearley’s time was spent listening.

How much time do you spend as a leader communicating with your team? And of that time, what percentage is spent listening?

On tour, Brearley would sit with players individually and discuss how they saw their tour going, how they perceived their own form, what they were contributing to training and deriving from it, what they thought about selection, how they would change the side.

The principles, he says, are clear: listen with an open mind, and assimilate what you hear: never dismiss what you hear out of hand, even if your gut reaction is to disagree.

Any leader, including sporting captains or business leaders, depends wholly on the special talents of others. Brearley knew that very well: he also knew the importance of keeping himself available and his mind open to all avenues of information, to ex-players and to respected members of the media.

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Brearley’s unequalled achievement as England’s cricket captain can be distilled down to his consistent team-first philosophy. The team was everything to Brearley, and its members knew that well and accepted it totally. He made every effort to be fair and open with the players and to involve them wholeheartedly in the team’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

As leaders, if you don’t pay close attention to your team members, you will fail: and attention is by definition personal.

Merc and Bath Fifteen member Michael Edge, had wondered if it would be possible to help save the planet and create a sustainable business. They’ve survived the collapse of a £400m joint venture; changes to government policy; a row with the energy regulator Ofgem; an office invasion and the financial crisis.

“I’ve got the power.” Andrew Mercer at Beckton

For the past 15 months, the 14-strong team have been on reduced salaries and for two months worked for nothing, as they struggled to close the deal. They never gave up, even though at times it seemed as if the project was doomed. Merc said the fact that over the years the team had completed various iFootdown ‘awaydays’ and knew each other’s profiles, had developed a cohesion and vision that drove them to success. “Anyone of them could have left at anytime and walked into another job” said Merc. “The fact they didn’t and stuck with it, is testimony to the strength and belief of this world class team.”

Merc found the support from his one to one coaching and fellow Bristol Footdown Group members invaluable. “There were times when I was very low. Times, when I almost didn’t believe myself that we were going to make it. The strength I drew from the group enabled me to carry on. It sounds cheesy, but I don’t think I would have held it together if it wasn’t for those sessions.”

He makes much of the team but when Footdown spoke to 2OC, it was clear there was another factor in the eventual success: Leadership. 2OC’s Head of Communications,  Richard Lyddon said: “Merc always talks up the team and rightly so. They are an exceptional bunch. But without his leadership and extraordinary belief, we wouldn’t have made it. In our darkest moments and there were plenty, Merc always told us to ‘keep the faith’. We did and we’ve come through.”

Construction work on the £70m project begins in May. With a 2-day team strategy meeting hosted by Footdown to come and the team fizzing with ideas,  expect to hear more from 2OC over the coming months and years.

Charles Cook

Charles Cook, member of Bristol Footdown Fifteen and founder of a ’boutique’ law firm, features in the North Somerset Business Magazine for Leaders.  As part of a series looking at young people in business, the article makes very interesting reading. it describes how Charles formed the practice wanting to break down the traditional barriers between the client and the lawyer relationship. To view the article:
http://www.nsbl.co.uk/isnt-firm-region/8369/

Charles joined the Bristol Footdown group in 2012 and brings new and innovative ideas to his pier members, enhanced also by his love of sport and this is reinforced by his very recent appointment, along with David Graveney to Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. Gloucestershire believe that these two additions will bring “valuable expertise and experience” and that “Charles fills a long-standing gap in our board and both are joining at a very exhilarating time.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/22015621

Congratulations Charles!

This article is by Vikram Banerjee,  click to subscribe to his articles.

An extraordinary leader and regarded by many as the greatest football manager of all time. Since narrowly avoiding the sack after a poor season back in 1990, Ferguson has led the club to an astonishing twelve league titles and two Champions Leagues in just over twenty-five years. He has even been invited to the Harvard Business School to discuss his leadership style and what it takes to be a successful manager and leader. During his visit he revealed the secrets behind his unprecedented level of success and gave us greater insight into what it takes to lead a team that is at the pinnacle of its sport.

What is it that has made him so successful over such a long period of time when others around have only managed short term success? What can we learn from the ‘hair dryer’?

When Sir Alex took charge at Manchester United he had a very distinct and clear vision, it wasn’t one that many people would have expected but it was bold and ambitious.

On his arrival at Old Trafford, he told the media “My greatest challenge is not what’s happening at the moment, my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their perch”!

Liverpool was the most successful football club in English football at the time when he took over and he envisioned taking Manchester United beyond that. He could see past the immediate present of the club being way behind Liverpool at the time when he arrived. At the time of writing, Manchester United have won a record 19 league titles, a record 11 FA Cups, four League Cups and a record 19 FA Community Shields. Manchester United has also won 3 European Cups, one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup. In 1998–99, the club won a Treble of the Premier League, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League, an unprecedented feat for an English club.

Sir Alex Ferguson has made Manchester United his life’s work. He has passion in bucket loads and this is reflected in the amount of time he devotes to his work. He has been reported to work 18 hour days on a regular basis. It is one thing every single player, coach and member of staff who has ever known or worked with Sir Alex has said about him – he is a workaholic.

However the beauty with Sir Alex is that for him, even at the ripe age of 71, he sees it as something he loves so much that it doesn’t feel like work. He wants to put the hours in, he wants to be the best and he is prepared to do whatever it takes to consistently be the best. He has taken the 10,000 hours rule and blown it out of the water!

Sir Alex Ferguson has achieved mastery of his area, and ensures that the experience and knowledge he has gained is applied and means something. He is constantly learning and constantly asking his players to keep learning and adapt. During his talk at Harvard, he spoke about his styles have moved with the times, in order to ensure continued success.

“Players these days have lived more sheltered lives, so they are much more fragile now than 25 years ago. I was very aggressive all those years ago. But today I’m more mellowed… And I can better handle those more fragile players now.”

This is a man who has installed tanning booths at the training ground to boost his pampered players’ Vitamin D levels, but isn’t afraid to show his tough and uncompromising management style. He has never been afraid of giving the big egos a dressing down, and he uses unusual stories from Opera to rev up the team for important games.

Sir Alex Ferguson loves success and as a result has a huge desire for learning, to keep moving, to keep improving and to know as much as is humanly possible about the things he would like to excel in – winning football matches!

“Some managers are ‘pleasing managers’. They let the players play 8-a-sides — games they enjoy. But here, we look at the training sessions as opportunities to learn and improve. Sometimes the players may think: ‘Here we go again,’ but it helps to win. The message is simple: we cannot sit still at this club.”

Similar to my previous article on Phil Jackson, Sir Alex Ferguson is another master of building winning teams. He has always made it very clear that at Manchester United no single player is bigger or more important than the club. He emphasises a strong team ethic, which has often been referred to as a “family”.

Each player who belongs to this family at Manchester United has this mentality ingrained in them from a young age.

Sir Alex Ferguson understands the importance of building a strong team culture for his players and the club on the whole. This culture runs through the veins of every player and every member of staff at the club and accounts largely for the impressive “aura” which is so famously talked about at Manchester United. No matter how talented a team member is, success is a function of the work that they put in as a team.

“I tell players that hard work is a talent, too. They need to work harder than anyone else. And if they can no longer bring the discipline that we ask for here at United, they are out. I am only interested in players who really want to play for United, and who, like me, are bad losers.”

Despite the ‘hair dryer’ and ‘boot kicking’ stories, Sir Alex Ferguson rewards his players with huge amount of loyalty in return for their commitment to Manchester United. When Roy Keane directed some “excessive aggression” into Alf-Inge Haaland’s knee, or when Eric Cantona scissor-kicked a xenophobic Crystal Palace fan, Ferguson stood by both. He also stood by Rio Ferdinand when the defender was banned for missing a drugs test, and Wayne Rooney when… Well, he’s had to stand by Rooney a number of times.

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When Cantona asked to have his contract terminated after his kung fu exhibition caused a public outcry (and resulted in an eight month ban), Ferguson’s support ultimately convinced the enigmatic Frenchman to stay. Cantona duly returned to win two more league titles in the following two seasons, lifting the second as club captain.

If you have invested in your employees and know them to be committed to your team then do not abandon your investment when difficulties arrive.  Your loyalty in that difficult time will be rewarded tenfold.

Tessa Munt, MP for Wells, Somerset; Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and Nigel Hunton, Chief Executive, MBA Polymers

The call was made at a presentation (*1) at Portcullis House, Westminster at an event entitled ‘The future of recycling –The challenge for plastics’. Around 100 politicians, environmental groups and major plastics-users attended the presentation.

MBA Polymers Chief Executive, Nigel Hunton member of the Bath Fifteen, commented, “Plastics recycling is a big opportunity for UK plc. We currently lie behind leading European countries in terms of the recycling rates of post-consumer plastic waste and in 2011 the UK performance was just over 20%. Sweden, Norway, German and France were all above us.”(*2)

The presentations at Westminster were followed by a lively question and answer session.

“We thought this was so powerful “, continued Nigel Hunton, “that we’ll be posting those Q&A’s on our website as they help explain many of the challenges that we face. In addition, many attendees expressed an interest in seeing the Worksop plant for themselves and we hope to arrange an Open Day in the not too distant future”.

Rob Law - Member of Bristol Fifteen

Manufacturer Trunki has teamed up with fellow Bristol-based business Aardman Animations to launch its first TV advert.

The ride-on suitcase maker, which brought manufacturing of its products back from China to the South West last year, has joined with Aardman to make adverts for its new PaddlePak range.

The adverts are being broadcast on children’s TV over the coming weeks and the illustration style used for the adverts is to be used for future Trunki marketing activity.

Trunki managing director and member of Footdown’s Bristol Fifteen Rob Law said: “Working with Aardman Animations has been every bit as enjoyable as you’d expect. Taking the plunge into children’s TV is always daunting, but when you’re working with some of the UK’s most talented animators, it definitely helps to put you at ease.

“We wanted to create something that would stand out to adults, whilst still appeal to our younger viewers, and drawing them into our underwater world.”

In December Magmatic, the business behind the Trunki brand, acquired Inject Plastics Ltd which manufactured its ride-on suitcases.

Phil Jackson in Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior

The next on my list of greatest sports leaders is Phil Jackson, who by percentage (74%) has the highest winning ratio in NBA history. He was the mastermind behind the huge success of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 until 1998, during which Chicago won six NBA titles. His next team, the Los Angeles Lakers, won five NBA titles from 2000 until 2010.

This article is by Vikram Banerjee,  click to subscribe to his articles.

I have always been a fan of Phil Jackson as a coach. I have always admired his style and his cool, calm, collected nature as a coach. He seems to know exactly when to sit, stand, and call a timeout—the small but vital elements for his team’s ultimate productivity. Most importantly, Phil maximized the potential of his personnel through an ability to turn huge megastars into team players. The results were championships…of which he has a record breaking eleven.

Blending principles from Zen Buddhism and the teachings of the Lakota Sioux, which earnt him the nickname “Zen Master”, with his experience from over twenty years as a professional player and coach, Jackson led Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to three consecutive titles not once, but twice, from ’91 to ’93 and ’96 to ’98. Then he did it yet again with the Lakers and Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, from ’00 to ’02.

Before Jackson arrived, both the Bulls and the Lakers were teams that, despite the presence of breath-taking talent, had failed to achieve the harmony needed to win championships. Yet under his guidance, schooled in his characteristically unselfish, team-oriented style, they went on to record-breaking success.

Phil Jackson believed strongly in teamwork. His employment of the triangle offense showed his thoughts about how a team should work together, having no one ‘glorified’ at the expense of the rest.

Although he had big characters like Dennis Rodman or Kobe Bryant in his team, he never allowed these stars, or even himself, to become the center of the team.  It is the same for all teams, in sport or business. A good team leader knows how to use each member’s strength to the advantage of the team or organisation. While it is sometimes tempting to glorify the CEO or leader to above the rest of the company, it is important to note that most of the best companies in the world don’t have “Stars”

Leaders often diminish their impact despite their intention to do the opposite. By encouraging too much dependence on their own interventions, they risk being fractional leaders. By contrast, leaders who carefully develop the ability of their team members to adapt to change and challenge can increase their leadership impact so that it is felt even in their absence.

For example, Jackson famously looked for opportunities to teach his team how to play through tough stretches without his direct intervention. In situations where other coaches called a timeout, Jackson infrequently intervened. Instead he often sat calmly on the sideline. His players knew what he was doing, because he had prepared them for such times. His inaction speaks volumes to his players. Through his lack of action he communicates clearly to the team that he expects them to recover their poise and competence.

Part of Jackson’s team leadership style focused on team members learning how to self-correct, and become habituated to putting themselves back on track, even under intense pressure and stress.

He wanted them to gain confidence in their ability to regain their confidence by working through adversity under realistic, game-time conditions. He wanted them to have real experience to draw upon that when times get tough, believing in their skills and game-plan would pay off if they stay poised and keep applying themselves.

When you are in a position of team leadership, do you strive to develop your team’s skills, confidence and accountability for their own performance? Do you look for opportunities to help your team learn how to persevere and self-correct during times of challenge and crisis?

Phil Jackson was great at creating a culture of focused chemistry that made all players valuable and maximized potential in everyone. The number-one priority in leadership is to create a strong team culture by developing leadership, empowerment, communication, authentic care for others, relationships, trust, and motivation. 

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Great leaders are more focused with making those around them great. Phil Jackson was a great coach and a great leader. Kobe Bryant says it best in this quote,

“He’s absolutely brilliant in bringing a group together to accomplish one common goal.”

But there is one man who stated this and still managed to captivate our attention. My next nominee for the greatest sports leader, was one of, if not the greatest and most famous boxers to enter the ring. In addition to his quick feet, he also had a quick mouth that ignited his audiences as much as his fighting prowess gained the respect of his opponents in the ring.

This article is by Vikram Banerjee,  click to subscribe to his articles.

Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Junior on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky as the younger of 2 boys. He is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist. Considered a cultural icon, Ali is another world leader who has both been idolised and vilified.

A three time World Heavyweight Champion, Muhammad Ali had an extremely successful professional boxing career, having only been beaten 5 times, with 56 wins and over half of them being knock-outs.

In his career, Ali defeated every top heavyweight in his era, which has been called the golden age of heavyweight boxing. After retirement, he is now championing social causes, travelling the world to fight hunger, poverty and racial and religious discrimination.

Ali had a unique fighting style, not adopting the high arm guard, but relying on his speed to avoid opponent’s punches. His famous phrase was, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”

As an inspiration to many, there are many leadership lessons that we can learn for our businesses and sports teams, below are just a few.

Self-Belief

“I would have been the world’s greatest at whatever I did. If I were a garbage man, I’d be the world’s greatest garbage man! I’d pick up more garbage and faster than anyone has ever seen. To tell you the truth, I would have been the greatest at whatever I’d done!”

Muhammad Ali had tremendous self-belief. It’s the one thing he’s famous for above all else. Ali was a master of self-promotion and surely ranks as not only one of the greatest boxers of all time, but also the smartest trash-talker in sports history. He never believed that he could lose a fight, and would use his words to either taunt his opponent or ‘speak’ his defeat by calling out the round by which his opponent would be knocked out.

Muhammad Ali not only believed in himself, he constantly spoke into his future. When he fought with an opponent, Ali would tell an opponent he would be beaten, and he would speak out the round that he would KO an opponent. That was his constant practice when he was in the boxing ring.

Ali was loaded with charisma and never feared a fight. His life is a testimonial of how self-belief and affirmation can carry one far ahead. In his words, he began believing he was the greatest before he became the greatest.

As leaders, we have to have that self-belief as well. To not just think, but know, that we are more than capable enough for the task before us. Before you can achieve victory on the outside, you have to achieve the victory on the inside.

Ali did not have a team to lead but his confidence and self belief led an army of fans as well as his professional team. Leading by example he inspired belief in others and fear in his opponents.

Preparation is key

In the early days of Ali’s career, opponents read his brag-and-boast routine as nervous bravado, but few knew how prepared he was, how hard he trained and just how much he wanted to win. By the time Ali got to the ring, he had every reason to believe he was invincible because he had pushed himself to his limits, beyond what he believed any other man could endure.

Muhammad Ali believed that a fight was won not in the boxing ring, but in all the time spent preparing for the boxing match. This is a principle of preparation that all of us should follow, that 90% of the battle is won not in the fight but in the preparation.

It’s the little things that count

“It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”

Take time to pause a moment in order to remove any pebbles you may have picked up along the way. These can take the form of small bad habits, lack of discipline, secret fears, or even devious doubts.

Pull aside, even for a moment. Address them. Deal with them. Destroy them.  Deal with the pebbles in your life decisively, and you will conquer many more mountaintops.

I have chosen to include Mohammad Ali in my list of greatest leader contenders because his example in his sport has inspired many.  The qualities that he demonstrated in his sport have enabled him to exercise considerable influence in his post-boxing activities.

I believe that if we get our personal training and discipline right then we can influence and inspire those around us whether we hold a formal ‘leadership’ position or not.

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If you’re going to do anything – be the greatest. Don’t be satisfied with second best. Go first class. Put 100% effort into everything you do. Don’t be slap dash. Add excellence as your secret ingredient to every task you undertake. Don’t remain a follower. Determine to be a leader.