Manchester United is more than a football club. It’s a global institution, a living case study in leadership, culture, and what happens when identity outlives clarity. In this episode, I’m joined by Ryan McGrory from Exsona to explore Manchester United not through match results, but through management decisions—and what those decisions reveal about leadership culture.

For decades, United’s culture was unmistakable. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, leadership was not just positional—it was relational. Standards were high, accountability was personal, and culture lived in everyday behaviors: how players trained, how they were challenged, and how the club protected a long-term identity while still evolving. Winning mattered—but how Manchester United won mattered just as much.

And then came the transition.

Post-Ferguson, Manchester United became a lesson many organizations know too well: what happens when success is inherited, but the underlying culture is not fully understood. Leadership changes came quickly. Strategies shifted often. Managers arrived with different philosophies, time horizons, and expectations—yet the organization itself struggled to articulate who it was becoming.

Ryan and I unpack how this instability wasn’t just tactical—it was cultural.

We talk about decision-making at the executive level:

• Hiring managers without aligning on leadership philosophy

• Oscillating between short-term fixes and long-term rebuilds

• Confusing brand legacy with operational clarity

In leadership terms, Manchester United faced a familiar challenge: mistaking history for strategy.

Culture, as we discuss, is not nostalgia. It’s coherence. It’s the alignment between values, behaviors, and decisions—especially when things aren’t going well. United’s struggles highlight how even elite organizations can drift when leadership voice becomes fragmented and purpose goes unspoken.

This episode isn’t about blame. It’s about learning.

We explore questions that extend far beyond football:

• How do leaders honor legacy without becoming trapped by it?

• What does cultural continuity look like during leadership transitions?

• When is stability more important than innovation—and when is it the opposite?

Manchester United reminds us that culture doesn’t disappear overnight. It erodes quietly, decision by decision, hire by hire, moment by moment. And rebuilding it requires more than talent or investment—it requires intentional leadership, shared language, and the courage to slow down long enough to ask the right questions.

Because in leadership—as in football—what happens off the field often determines what happens on it.

In this episode of Questions Are Greater Than Answers, we explore an unexpected but powerful leadership tool: the kitchen table.

Drawing inspiration from Carlo Ancelotti, the former manager of Real Madrid, we unpack how food, cooking, and shared meals can become quiet acts of leadership that shape culture. In his memoir Quiet Leadership, Ancelotti reflects on his love of cooking—especially pasta—and how preparing food for others helped him build trust, connection, and a sense of family within elite teams.

We extend this idea across the football world. Former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has shared how time spent in the training-ground kitchen was a core part of becoming a professional—bonding with teammates, learning norms, and building relationships beyond the pitch. At Manchester United, legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson intentionally redesigned the club’s training-ground canteen so academy players would regularly eat alongside first-team stars, creating organic mentorship, breaking down hierarchy, and reinforcing a shared identity.

Together, these stories highlight a deeper leadership truth: culture is often built in informal spaces. Kitchens, restaurants, and shared meals become places where hierarchy softens, trust grows, and people feel seen as human beings—not just performers.

This episode invites listeners to rethink leadership beyond tactics and titles. What if culture isn’t only shaped in meetings, locker rooms, or strategy sessions—but over pasta, conversation, and time spent together? And what might today’s leaders learn from managers who understood that sometimes the most powerful leadership moments happen far away from the spotlight?

Quiet Leadership Book

Robbie van Persie on High Performance podcast

Questions Are Greater Than Answers — Dawn Staley: Branding, Purpose, and Values

What does it mean to build a leadership brand that is authentic, values-driven, and resilient under pressure?

In this episode of Questions Are Greater Than Answers, we explore the leadership philosophy of Dawn Staley, head coach of the University of South Carolina women’s basketball program and one of the most influential leaders in sports today. Fresh off South Carolina’s national championship, this conversation goes beyond wins and trophies to examine how Staley has intentionally built a brand rooted in clarity, purpose, and unwavering values.

Using insights from post-championship interviews and media coverage, the episode unpacks how Staley’s leadership brand is defined not by flash or volume, but by consistency, trust, and role clarity. We explore how she creates environments where athletes understand who they are, what they’re responsible for, and why their contribution matters—a hallmark of sustainable, high-performing teams.

This episode also connects Staley’s approach to broader leadership lessons relevant to executives, educators, and emerging leaders: aligning purpose with action, living your values publicly, and using leadership platforms to elevate others. Her story reminds us that the strongest leadership brands are not manufactured—they are earned through daily behavior, difficult decisions, and a deep commitment to people.

Whether you lead a team, teach future leaders, or are refining your own sense of purpose, this episode offers powerful reflections on what it means to lead with clarity, conviction, and courage.

Sports Illustrated article

Uncommon Favor book

Pivot Podcast episode