Different leadership styles within football management and why there Essay

Different leadership styles within football management and why there successfull (Managing organizations) - Essay Example Heller believes that self mastery, through reflection and introspection is the key in sport management. Following this line of thought, Heathfield (2004) defined leadership as the ability to conduct the affairs of others, an organisation or a business, to have people work under your control and to provide direction, to guide others, to administer and organise work processes and systems and to handle problems. When seen from this perspective, a football manager would be seen as someone whose duty is to provide the atmosphere, guidance, inspiration and every other thing a team of players need to be successful. This is aptly conveyed in McCarra (2004) statement "Leadership, on and off the pitch, can make the difference between ignominy and victory" McCarra argued that leadership and management is a very crucial aspect of whatever business or organization, because in the long run, successful business or organizations are those that are well led. Unfortunately, in Heller's views, the link between management and football has always been undervalued. He explained that in the search for effective leadership knowledge, academicians and researchers have searched deep into the histories of warfare and the military, when more could be learn from football managements. This is obviously, because in football management, effective and successful football managers are easily discerned, in sharp contrast to what obtains in the business world where politics, perception, bureaucracy and all that, usually overshadows performance and effectiveness of successful leaders. Analysis of football team management is a useful and convenient method for isolating the general principles of successful management. Information about what goes on inside football clubs is readily accessible and because of its immense popularity, football attracts permanent media attention. This makes analysing the secrets of their success easier and more productive than a similar study of a blue-chip company, where the inner workings are often shrouded in mystery (Using football, 2003). Obviously, this is because there is no hiding or pretensions in football management, a successful manager is easily distinguished by consistently winning trophies and achieving respectable feats against odds, while an ineffective manager is also easily distinguished for poor performances and in the inability to maximise the available human resources. In the course of this paper, we shall be taking a look at some of the numerous leadership styles and traits that have been exhibited by several football managers, with a view to analyzing the efficiency of such styles as measured by the success attributed to such leaders, and the weakness, shortcomings and limitations of these leadership styles. This will be done through a review of the various literatures; articles, reports and journals, available on the topic. Literature Review Analysing management styles and football, Heller (2005) opined that in every sense what determines a great leader is the success recorded. He argued that success with leadership in football and sports generally, clearly demonstrates that leadership is based on what he called five inward strengths and five