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How to Think Like Sir Alex Ferguson: The Business of Winning and Managing Success
"An insightful and interesting book packed with leadership ideas" - Stuart Lancaster Consider the question - why does anyone buy sports books, or books about or by sports stars? For sure there is a souvenir and nostalgia element. But people also buy sports books to see if our heroes give any clues to the magic ingredient that has made them so successful. We read them to see what we can learn about their lives, particularly in the hard times, and how they triumphed over adversity. In the first in the new series from Aurum Sports sports psychologist Damian Hughes, who has worked with Manchester United, lifts the lid on what made Sir Alex Ferguson the most successful football manager Great Britain has ever produced. He will give the reader an understanding of what Ferguson did to get the best out of his players, and how we can learn from him and apply these lessons to our professional and personal lives.
224 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2014
About the author
Damian Hughes
40 books23 followersProfessor Damian Hughes combines his practical and academic background within sport, organization and change psychology to work as a trusted adviser to business, education and sporting elite, specializing in the creation of high-performance cultures.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 31, 2022
Enjoyable and quick read that uses Ferguson as a catalyst to bring forward larger ideas and strategies for navigating and enabling change.
September 22, 2020
Imagination * Vividness = reality
Humans can listen to 600wpm and talk 150wpm - Learn how to listen
6 stages of reaction to feedback -
1. Shock
2. Anger
3. Denial
4. Rationalization
5. Acceptance
6. Action
The first 3 are the inward red flags, the latter 3 would be what makes someone a better person and develop
William Arthur Ward - Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you.
Humans hear 148,000 NO from year 0-16. So that's 25 No's a day.
Story of Pablo Picasso where he was asked what he will do with the painting, he answers he will make a lion. He proceeds to talk on carving out the non essentials to show what is hiding behind the carvings.
Control the controllables
98% non-verbal. Write goal that resonates and touches your emotion:
55% visual
38% vocal
7% verbal
Counterfactual thinking - $10 discount on a calculator and $10 discount on a computer. What do you choose? 70% buys a calculator on the same day and come back the other for the computer.
Angel and man story where he was taken to heaven and was shown the last door containing things that he could've achieved and got in his life on earth if he took risks.
Rules for being human - You will learn lessons. There are no mistakes, only lessons. A lesson is repeated until learned. If you don't learn lessons, it gets harder. Pain is one way that the universe gets your attention. You will know if you learned your lessons when your actions change.
The risk poem
"To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing
your true self.
To place your ideas and dreams
before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk to failure.
But risks must be taken because
the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing,
has nothing is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live.
Chained by his servitude he is a slave
who has forfeited all freedom.
Only a person who risks is free."
Humans can listen to 600wpm and talk 150wpm - Learn how to listen
6 stages of reaction to feedback -
1. Shock
2. Anger
3. Denial
4. Rationalization
5. Acceptance
6. Action
The first 3 are the inward red flags, the latter 3 would be what makes someone a better person and develop
William Arthur Ward - Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you.
Humans hear 148,000 NO from year 0-16. So that's 25 No's a day.
Story of Pablo Picasso where he was asked what he will do with the painting, he answers he will make a lion. He proceeds to talk on carving out the non essentials to show what is hiding behind the carvings.
Control the controllables
98% non-verbal. Write goal that resonates and touches your emotion:
55% visual
38% vocal
7% verbal
Counterfactual thinking - $10 discount on a calculator and $10 discount on a computer. What do you choose? 70% buys a calculator on the same day and come back the other for the computer.
Angel and man story where he was taken to heaven and was shown the last door containing things that he could've achieved and got in his life on earth if he took risks.
Rules for being human - You will learn lessons. There are no mistakes, only lessons. A lesson is repeated until learned. If you don't learn lessons, it gets harder. Pain is one way that the universe gets your attention. You will know if you learned your lessons when your actions change.
The risk poem
"To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing
your true self.
To place your ideas and dreams
before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk to failure.
But risks must be taken because
the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing,
has nothing is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live.
Chained by his servitude he is a slave
who has forfeited all freedom.
Only a person who risks is free."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2018
I love the concept of the book but thought it was poorly executed. I enjoy learning about the mindset of sports managers/coaches and thought this would be an excellent read. The links between the Alex Fergusons anecdotes and the self-help tips, while good advice, were often quite loose and contrived. I felt frustrated when a simple Ferguson quote was then used as the crux for an entire chapter explaining a mindset technique. Despite these pitfalls, it was still an okay read with some good ideas and advice.
February 6, 2023
How to Think Like Sir Alex Ferguson brings the soccer world and business management together. Professor Damian Hughes illustrates how to make change a friend by using Fergie’s soccer management skills as examples.
The many anecdotes that are shared about change are motivating and inspiring.
For any Manchester United fan this book is a nostalgic trip down memory lane and a reminder of how great Fergie truly was. Stories about United greats such as Keane, Giggs, Beckham, Ronaldo, and Rooney made the reading feel more like a novel than a self-help book. I simply love this book because of United and Fergie, the great learning points make it all the better.
The many anecdotes that are shared about change are motivating and inspiring.
For any Manchester United fan this book is a nostalgic trip down memory lane and a reminder of how great Fergie truly was. Stories about United greats such as Keane, Giggs, Beckham, Ronaldo, and Rooney made the reading feel more like a novel than a self-help book. I simply love this book because of United and Fergie, the great learning points make it all the better.
May 4, 2019
Definitely not what I expected....I’ve read the biography of Sir Alex and this rehashed a lot of that. This was disappointing, not a lot of new info here.
February 3, 2021
Interesting and different
November 30, 2021
Loved it. A lot of leadership lessons to be learnt from SAF. One final take away manage change and control the controllables👏❤️GGMU.
November 10, 2014
Bit of a misleading title.
Probably more non Alex Ferguson anecdotes than Alex Ferguson ones. Most of the book has been written about in more depth and in a better way by the likes of Malcolm Gladwell ('Outlier', 'Blink'), Daniel Kahneman ('Thinking, fast and slow') and Steve Peters 9'Chimp Paradox'). The Alex Ferguson anecdotes themselves are mainly from his autobiography and not all that revealing either.
If you're after a good book that applies the wisdom and experience of football managers to (working) life, then 'The Manager' by Mike Carson is a much more illuminating read, strongly focused on football and with the added benefit of insight into many of the games leading figures.
Two stars just because even though I've read most of this book elsewhere, I do enjoy reading this sort of thing.
Probably more non Alex Ferguson anecdotes than Alex Ferguson ones. Most of the book has been written about in more depth and in a better way by the likes of Malcolm Gladwell ('Outlier', 'Blink'), Daniel Kahneman ('Thinking, fast and slow') and Steve Peters 9'Chimp Paradox'). The Alex Ferguson anecdotes themselves are mainly from his autobiography and not all that revealing either.
If you're after a good book that applies the wisdom and experience of football managers to (working) life, then 'The Manager' by Mike Carson is a much more illuminating read, strongly focused on football and with the added benefit of insight into many of the games leading figures.
Two stars just because even though I've read most of this book elsewhere, I do enjoy reading this sort of thing.
February 23, 2015
Probably more non Alex Ferguson anecdotes than Alex Ferguson ones. Most of the book has been written about in more depth and in a better way by the likes of Malcolm Gladwell ('Outlier', 'Blink'), Daniel Kahneman ('Thinking, fast and slow') and Steve Peters ('Chimp Paradox'). The Alex Ferguson anecdotes themselves are mainly from his autobiography and not all that revealing either.
If you're after a good book that applies the wisdom and experience of football managers to (working) life, then 'The Manager' by Mike Carson is a much more illuminating read, strongly focused on football and with the added benefit of insight into many of the games leading figures.
Two stars just because even though I've read most of this book elsewhere, I do enjoy reading this sort of thing.
If you're after a good book that applies the wisdom and experience of football managers to (working) life, then 'The Manager' by Mike Carson is a much more illuminating read, strongly focused on football and with the added benefit of insight into many of the games leading figures.
Two stars just because even though I've read most of this book elsewhere, I do enjoy reading this sort of thing.
January 28, 2015
Epic life guide.
June 17, 2017
had done great stories and anecdotes, asks the reader some thought provoking questions
February 8, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. Focussing on the mentality of success in sport. I will look out for future books by Damian Hughes.
October 20, 2023
An 'OK' read and not terrible. But not as good as other Sir Alex related books, 'Leading', for example.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews