Twelve years have passed since Manchester United last lifted the Premier League title—a season that marked Sir Alex Ferguson’s farewell after 26 years in charge. Under his leadership, Manchester United became a global footballing powerhouse, winning 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, two Champions League trophies, and numerous other honors. His reign was the most dominant and successful in the history of English football. Yet, no sooner had the legendary manager retired than Manchester United became an unrecognizable football team, one crumbling monument to past greatness. Who could have foreseen a day when a club of Manchester United’s stature would find itself struggling in mid-table, battling relegation? Once, the fans sang “Glory, Glory, Man United” with pride; today, for over a decade, we have witnessed a slow, painful fall from glory—week after week, season after season, and it doesn’t seem to get any better. The decline has been overseen by seven permanent managers who have come and gone, each facing the same seemingly insurmountable task of making Manchester United a powerhouse again:
- David Moyes (2013–2014)
- Louis van Gaal (2014–2016)
- José Mourinho (2016–2018)
- Ole Gunnar Solskjær (2018–2021)
- Ralf Rangnick (interim, 2021–2022)
- Erik ten Hag (2022–2024)
- Ruben Amorin (2024-Present)
In the meantime, over a billion pounds has been spent on player recruitment, yet despite bringing in world-class stars, including Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez, Angel Dimaria, Jadon Sancho, and even Cristiano Ronaldo, the club has failed to restore its dominance.
The Absence of a Successor
It begs the question of why a club like Manchester United didn’t have a succession plan. The leadership team had to have known that Sir Ferguson would retire one day, yet there seemed to be no succession plan. How is that possible? Sir Ferguson knew his reign would eventually end, but why wasn’t it a seamless transition? Why wasn’t Mike Phelan, who had worked alongside Ferguson for years, appointed as his successor? Instead, the scot appointed his compatriot David Moyes, who had a solid reputation at Everton but lacked the experience of managing at the highest level. Moyes only lasted 10 months into his six-year contract before being dismissed, his tenure marked by tactical struggles and a loss of identity.
Suppose Sir Ferguson knew that David Moyes would succeed him. Why wasn’t Moyes allowed to learn under Ferguson for a few years, immersing himself in the club’s philosophy before taking over? This would have made for a smoother transition. Why is that? Well, David Moyes inherited the same squad that had won the Premier League just months earlier, yet watching that team play under him was a painful experince, you wouldn’t be blamed for wondering if these were the defending champions. The players lacked fight, desire, and belief. The attacking football and being on the front foot from the first whistle all had but disappeared. The team looked beleaguered and directionless, and as the season progressed, things just got worse for the manager he couldn’t save his job. What had changed in less than six months since winning the title? It was the same team. Therefore, the issue couldn’t be the team. It had to be the leadership because the manager was the only thing that changed. John Maxwell says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
The managers who followed fared no better. By the time United appointed their sixth manager, the club had spent well over £1 billion on player recruitment—desperately trying to restore the glory days. Superstars on obscene wages were signed to reignite United’s dominance, but the Galáctico-style approach that had once worked for Real Madrid in the early 2000s failed miserably at Old Trafford.
Even a last-ditch effort to bring back Cristiano Ronaldo—one of the greatest players of all time—did little to salvage the wreckage that had become Manchester United. His time at United ended abruptly, with Ronaldo leaving for the riches of Saudi Arabia, a move that left many wondering if the club could ever return to the heights Ferguson had once taken it to.
Leadership is About Creating Leaders
Authentic leadership is about achieving success and ensuring success continues beyond you. Ferguson managed some of football’s most iconic personalities—David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand—yet few have become great managers.
Compare this to Johan Cruyff, who mentored Pep Guardiola, or Guardiola, who nurtured Mikel Arteta—figures who created future leaders. In contrast, Ferguson’s former players-turned-managers—such as Gary Neville (Valencia), Roy Keane (Sunderland/Ipswich), and Ole Gunnar Solskjær (United/Molde)—have struggled to achieve sustained success in management.
In the business world, Jack Welch, the legendary CEO of General Electric, understood this principle well. He didn’t just build GE into a corporate giant—he developed leaders who went on to run major companies like 3M, Home Depot, and Boeing. His legacy wasn’t just in profits but in the leaders he cultivated.
Michelangelo’s Lesson on Leadership
Leadership is like sculpture. Michelangelo famously said:
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
The sculpture was always there—his role was to chisel away what didn’t belong. Great leaders see raw potential and refine it, molding future leaders who will carry their vision forward.
But leadership is not just about seeing potential—it’s about nurturing, shaping, and giving it room to grow. It requires intention.
Steve Jobs understood this when he mentored Tim Cook. When Jobs passed away in 2011, many feared Apple would crumble. Yet under Cook’s leadership, Apple became the world’s first $3 trillion company. Jobs didn’t just build a great company—he built an ecosystem of leaders who could sustain that greatness.
The True Test of Leadership
So, the real question every leader must ask is:
- Can your organization thrive after you’re gone?
- Are you empowering others to take ownership and lead?
- Are you building a legacy that outlives you?
As David Marquet writes in Turn the Ship Around, “Leadership is about transforming those you lead into leaders themselves.” And as John Maxwell wisely states, “There is no success without a successor.”
Great leadership is not about making yourself indispensable—it’s about ensuring that the mission, vision, and success continue long after you are gone.
When you look behind you, who do you see following you? So, who are you developing today to take your place tomorrow?