Sir Alex Ferguson is known as the greatest soccer manager/coach in the history of the Premier League, some even saying the greatest manager of all time. With 38 trophies, 13 Premier League titles, 2 champions league titles he is the most decorated manager in futbol history. When looking into what made him so great, in his own words there were certain qualities that he held that proved to him were qualities that all leaders should have. In his time of managing Manchester United he has shown a consistency in his thoughts and decisions and doesn’t let things around him deter him from making the call that he believes will be the best decision. This is especially successful in times of trial. In sticking to consistency, he believed that this would help in developing in specific his players. And not only in the sense of skill with the ball, but also helping develop them as people, which helps them in the match and motivates them. And a final point that I believe helps him so much is his willingness to adapt with change. Which sounds counterintuitive to his first point, yet it goes hand and hand. When done perfectly it allows him to grow is team in a way that forces them to move towards greatness even in an industry changing so frequently as soccer. These factors are just some of the multiple concepts that he uses to be an impactful and successful leader.

https://youtu.be/6QKY1sXP0rg?si=e3t-TkTBFsBwR8nw

I Jeran Aguilar chose Lionel Messi as my great leader. Not only does he hold the record for most trophies won as a soccer player, time in and time out he has proven himself as an outstanding player, captain, and overall team leader. He does this by using his friendly personality to boost the chemistry of both him and his teammates on and off the field. Not only on the field but he is also a father, which can be said to be one of the hardest leadership roles of all. A perfect example of Messi being a great leader is his recent transfer to the MLS and joining Inter Miami. He joined the team and took the club from being a bottom team to winning the league. He accomplished this by reuniting with old players and getting close with his newer teammates. He also doesn’t hog the ball and is always willing to pass to and assist his teammates in scoring. The betterment of whatever team he is on is one of his sole goals, and to me this makes him an outstanding leader in not only soccer but sports as a whole.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ34H6Gjpls&ab_channel=PenningtonGrassSeed

The leader that I have chosen is the New York Giants head coach, Brain Daboll. Daboll earned the NFL Coach of the Year award in 2022; his first year as a head football coach in the NFL and first year with the New York Giants. He won this award because he was able to make significant progress with the team that had a losing record of 4-13 in the prior season. Brian Daboll’s ability to evolve and adapt are some of the qualities that make him a good leader and allowed him to be successful with this team. Additionally, he shows each of his players that he cares for them on both a professional and personal level which undoubtably strengths their trust in his leadership. Daboll is also often seen telling his team the importance of “energy and effort” and taking the game “one play at a time”. This is a quality of his coaching that I believe greatly contributes to his effectiveness as a leader as it ensures his player are disciplined in the fundamentals of the game, which helps to increase their success in high pressure situations. Furthermore, Daboll puts a great emphasis on preparation which is a fundamental characteristic of an effective leader. Lastly, I believe one of the largest factors in the success and leadership that Daboll has had thus far with the New York Giants is his passion, not only for the game but the team itself. There are many traits that make a great leader but passion is one that can’t be taught or faked which is why I believe it is one of the most important.

https://youtu.be/0HBcXwRm7fM?si=NLNZDLLET73MlN9O

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNCa1ILYqTg

This clip is from Hard Knocks. Robert Saleh is the head coach of the New York Jets and gives an excellent speech about competing. He explains that there are four levels of competitors. The first are survivors; they do just enough to get by and are not focused on success. Next are the contenders, and contenders are motivated by external factors. Third is competitors, and competitors are intrinsically motivated. The final group is the commanders. Commanders and competitors are very similar, except commanders bring teammates with them. They are not only focused on their success, but the groups as a whole. There is at least one of each level on every team, but everyone should strive to be a commander. I thought this was a really good look into the psychology of athletes and how teams can be broken down into types of athletes.

The leader I chose is sports agent Scott Boras. Boras is currently one of the most successful sports agents there is, specializing in the sport of baseball. He has made $191 million dollars in commission through managing playing contracts worth $3.83 billion dollars. Scott has made this possible because of his strong work ethic and passion for his field. He is known as one of the toughest negotiators around, ensuring that he gets the best deals for his clients. He is very selective of who he represents, which is why he is very tentative with his negotiations. Scott builds relationships that include support, trust, and commitment which are vital attributes in a fiduciary relationship. Getting the best deal isn’t his only goal, but instead looking out for his athletes best interest. His firm, Boras Corporation, even has their own training staff for their athletes. He does a great job of focusing on those little things along with the usual duties of a sports agent which really sets him apart from other agents in the industry. Scott Boras is one of my role models and he sets a great example of what a sports agent should be like.

The leader that I wanted to choose wanted to be someone who is successful on the field and off the field. Growing up, I always heard about how good of a player he was, but I was too young to see if he was actually a good player. Recently he started a coaching job at Jackson State University and seeing him coach at a college level and being that successful must have a certain leadership quality in him to have a successful team. He recently got a job for the D1 Colorado team that was recently 1-8 and with the team moving a different direction with the program and starting to coach with Deion might be beneficial to the team. My youtube link his him talking to his new team and talking about adjustments. He talks about how leaders need to rise and take action. He also says that most players will not be here by the end of the season. Players and the coaching staff trust him with the upcoming season because he is really a true leader. That is why I picked Deion Sanders as my leader.

https://youtu.be/q2Io3jCH5bU

The leader I chose was Dak Prescott. Despite not being the best athlete on the field, he is always the one to light a fire in his teammates. As a Dallas Cowboys quarterback, you will always be the most hated and watched. He doesn’t let that bother him and does whatever it takes to help the team win. He helps the community, donates and created his own cause that spreads awareness for suicide. He is always the first person at practice and the last one to leave. He is always the first one on the field for games and the last one off after he high fives all his teammates in the tunnel following the win. Might not be a great quarterback but he is a great teammate and an even better man.