Fergie Time.
Marcus Child coaches international athletes, top football teams, world leading rock climbers, CEOs, business leaders, patients with a terminal condition and many more groups of people.
His messages transcend age, gender, position – they are truly universal. Last week he spoke with Property Academy members and discussed his latest work:
“The 5 Leader Superpowers (to grow resilience, resourcefulness and results).”
I’ve worked with Marcus for 20 years and his influence on me and many of our members has been most significant but right now, in these times, it was even more valuable to have such a shot of positivity plus some really clever ideas that can easily be put into practice to help redress the balance and achieve a more positive mental state.
He told one story of his time working with Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United that I hadn’t heard before and thought I’d share with you today.
Under Ferguson, ManU scored 166 goals in the last minute of the game. Most football fans will be aware of “Fergie Time”, (ManU always seemed to be given additional minutes by referees that other teams didn’t benefit from) but actually there’s another application of this phrase that’s nothing to do with luck or good fortune.
According to Marcus, the training sessions at United were often brutal. In particular, players would complain after a heavy midweek of playing abroad in the Champions League that the hours in practice would deplete them for the weekend fixture ahead. Ferguson didn’t agree and would often work them harder than in a quieter week and then, when they were on their knees, would have 30 minutes of practicing freekicks. Why would he do this? It flies in the face of conventional wisdom. Most teams cut back the training after a congested set of fixtures. Why would he instigate drills at the point the players were running on empty? The answer is simple.
Such is the competitiveness of elite sport, not to mention the stakes involved, the difference between winning and losing can be down to the smallest margins, indeed many of you will recall Sir Clive Woodward speaking at one of our events and describing the 100+ marginal gains he introduced to both the 2003 England World Cup winning rugby team and Team GB Olympians in 2012. Whether you believe that “Fergie Time” existed or not, the fact that his teams scored so many goals in the last minute is proof that his training methods were highly effective. You see, Sir Alex worked out that on many occasions the game was won or lost in the final play and therefore the players needed to step up in those extra added minutes. He realised that practicing crucial freekicks when you’re full of energy is very different than doing so when you feel totally knackered – but that’s often the time when you need to be at your best.
This story struck a chord with me for these current times. Many of us and our teams have been working flat out and training is perhaps the last thing you or they would instigate. And yet, what might people discover about themselves if they’re properly tested now?
I’ve mentioned before that climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was what I call a “100”* (a life changing event). I discovered new levels of both physical and mental strength I didn’t know I had. This has since enabled me to push myself harder in many activities, business particularly, as I know that even if I feel I’m running on empty there’s actually plenty left in the tank. My bet is that’s true for you too. If I’m right then this is a time when you can properly push yourself to new levels and by doing so will not only win in this moment but in many times to come too.
If you’d like to see the session with Marcus Child along with 20 other inspirational talks with some of the world’s best business thought leaders then consider becoming a member of Property Academy – details here: https://propertyacademy.co.uk/services/leadership-coaching-for-estate-agents
*See four-i issue one to learn about 100’s.
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