Alex Ferguson and the Manchester United Management School

Footballers are paid too much, are lionised and criticised too quickly, and have a perennial inability to see what constitutes a decent haircut. Alex Ferguson has fought and won against all these things, and having taken his Manchester United side to another Premier League title, he must be seen as one of the most successful managers ever to have walked into a dressing room.

Are there any lessons for managers in more ordinary walks of life? Clive Woodward, the rugby coach that took England to world cup victory in Australia in 2003, has made a tidy name for himself explaining how his sporting strategies can be applied in the workplace. His book  Winning!: The Story of England's Rise to Rugby World Cup Glory has sold well, and Woodward makes a good show on the speaking circuit. His podcast for The Times is well worth a listen too.

Fergie is hardly underpaid, but cash is clearly not the thing that motivates him - and that is a management lesson in itself. Wanting to win is much more powerful than being paid to win. His sense of loyalty to players is a key ingredient. But so is his loyalty to the institution he leads and that means that people must deserve the loyalty, and be replaced for the sake of the greater good when they have served their purpose, run out of steam and, or, got to big for their boots. Investment in innovation and infrastructure is a mantra familiar to any but the most benighted manager, but the fruits of the mantra are to be seen in the Old Trafford trophy cabinet. It provides another abject lesson.

Alex Ferguson's most impressive talent is being patient enough to inspire confidence in players and supporters, but not so patient, or forgiving, that he gets taken for a ride. And appreciating that a fancy haircut is no substitute for hard work.