Lead the

way
How the longest served manager leverage on club’s
continuous success on leading, hiring and retain
winning team through Transformational
Leadership perspective.

By: Izzarul Shazwan

 Introduction
•Who is Arsene Wenger? 3

1.Traits of Transformational Leader

•The traits and practices of Transformational Leader 4

2. Approach and Philosophy

•Management style
•Youth policy
Table of contents •Abroad talent 6

Leadership skills on
•Stringent Financial Play

3. Transformation Leader Application

ArseneWenger •Idealistic Influence
•Intellectual Stimulation
•Inspirational Motivation
•Individualised Consideration 8

4. What modern business leaders can

learn from Wenger?
•Emphasize on People Development
•Diversify your team and identify strengths through
team work
•Becoming a Transformational Leader 11

Conclusion
•Finding your next leader would be a tough job for
Arsenal 13
 Wenger Arsenal Statistics
for total of 1,235 games
played (1996 – 2018)

Introduction
Arsene who?
Well known for his legacy managing Arsenal FC from 1996 to
2018 (22 years) making him the club’s longest -reigning and
most successful manager. He was also the first foreign
manager (French) appointed outside the UK to win the English
Premier League.

Club Managerial Honors: Premier League 1998, 2002 and

2004. FA Cup 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2014 and 2015.

Key accomplishment: Unbeaten run for 38 games in 2003/2004

season. Known for the Invincibles.

Management style: Transformational leadership

Well known for his eye for talent (recruitment), youth development
(employee development), control the dressing room and diet
regimens (training & performance management) and stringent
financial play (business acumen).
1 The traits of a Transformational leader
Traits of Transformational Leader
According to Bernard M. Bass in his 1985 book
Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations,
Transformational Leader
•Act with integrity and fairness
•Set clear goals for individuals
and team
•Encourage others
•Provide individual support
and recognition
•Raise the morale and
motivation of others
•Steers individuals away from self-
interest, but towards selflessness
Arsene Wenger leadership style
•Delegate effectively, does not
micromanage, encourage participation
•Early improvements in training,
nutrition and analysis
•Speaks to the players individually
•Reinforce relationships with the players
•Motivate everyone to buy into the
vision, sticking to attacking football
philosophy
•Share the credit as a team, encourage
possession team effort instead of
individual skills
 1 The traits of a Transformational leader

Practices of Transformational Leader

Created a shared vision that inspires the players
Transformed Arsenal into a team that plays some of the most attractive football in the
world. Quick passes, beautiful one-touch football, nimble-footed players are all
features of Arsenal's play. Responsible for the philosophy of attacking football.
Developed a culture over time
Promoted young players to develop in the club’s’ culture. Bringing in technically
strong foreign players into the league. Introduced sports science approach to the
club and emphasizes on technical drills, self-disciplines and nutrition.

An eye for talent

Established a comprehensive scouting system and signed many talented
players from various clubs and countries. Ensures that Arsenal always have
depth in the squad and there is an influx and addition of bright prospects
into the side.

Role model Integrity

Leading with clear values and high standards of integrity means being honest
and open with players, earning their trust, and inspiring players to follow the
club’s value. Act as a father figure, a mentor for many of Arsenal's young players.
This has ensured a smooth relationship between the players and it has helped in
keeping away off-field problems.
2 Approach & Philosophy
He taps into his players higher needs and values,
inspires them with new possibilities that have
strong appeal and raises their level of confidence,
conviction and desire to achieve a common, moral
purpose. (Scouller, 2011).
Wenger leads training sessions, but delegates responsibility to his
coaching staff, who predominantly work with the players. Throughout
his managerial career, Wenger has trusted his players to perform and
learn from their own mistakes and encourages sportsmen to show
intuition, and makes observations rather than explicitly giving orders.
Autonomy style management.

Instead of buying ready-made stars, Wenger searched for young talents

he could buy cheaply and then develop into top-class players. He relies
on a network of scouts and personal contacts to find and attract
talented footballers to play under him. Recruitment and development.

Wenger was one of the first managers in English football to scout abroad
for talent. His double-winning team of 1998 was described by editor
Jason Cowley as "a model of racial and multicultural integration. They
were the first truly globalized team. Diversification.
 2 Approach and Philosophy

Stringent financial play

Discover what the club needs to sustain
When Arsenal moved to the Emirates Stadium, Wenger prioritized investing
in youth instead of purchasing experienced players. Wenger has continued to

“
maintain a strict wage structure through his youth set-up and his smart handling of
the resources has reaped rich dividends for the club.
At the training ground it is a
Transfer king combination of concentration and
Wenger knows when its the right time to sell a player. Nicolas Anelka is a fun. You want it to be serious but
perfect example of this, he was signed by Wenger from PSG for £500,000
and two years later sold him off for 22.5 million to Real Madrid. With
you also want it to be happy. There
this money, Wenger bought certain players eg: Thierry Henry and Pires. need to be moments where they
only have fun, and moments where
Inaction in bringing in
Team-building Strategy formation they only focus on the job they do.
experience talent
That is needed. You have to be
Leadership & influence Loyalty Professionalism with players happy to be together. You also have
to know, ‘ok now it is time for me
to focus.” Arsene.
 4 Transformational
3 Leaders Application
Some say that employees leave managers, not companies.
That’s why it’s so important to have exceptional leaders at
your organization if you want to build winning teams that
will stick around for the long haul.

75%
of employees have left a job voluntarily
because of their boss, not the role.
State of the American Manager: Analytics and Advice for Leaders,
Gallup
 “
3 Transformational Leaders
Application

Idealistic Influence
I am really happy for Arsene Wenger,
Before and after the FA Cup victory in May, many players talked about I have great respect for him and for
how much they wanted to win the trophy for Arsene. Many former
players showed support for the manager as well. This suggests that
the job he has done at Arsenal.
Arsene builds an emotional connection among many of those who work
for him and a demonstration of the trust that he had built with the It is great testament to his talent,
players and the influence the players have for him professionalism and determination
that he has been able to dedicate 22
Intellectual Stimulation years of his life to a job that he
loves.”
The best managers help employees develop their strengths and build their
Sir Alex Ferguson
confidence. As a result, they build teams like a jigsaw puzzle with every Former Manchester
member bringing a different and complementary set of skills. They also United FC Manager
recognize their own strengths and shortcomings. Arsene has always
focused his efforts on transmitting confidence and giving players self-belief
through providing them with the opportunity to express themselves on
the pitch, and this is consistent in his interviews where he claims spirit and
belief have been the main factors of his team’s success.
 3 Transformational Leaders
Application

Inspirational Motivation
His vision of playing attractive, offense-minded football; this
vision appealed to both followers inside the club as well as
prospective players and coaching staff outside the club wanting
to be a part of the vision. Another aspect of inspirational
motivation would be Arsene’s displays optimism that his
approach will succeed in the long run.

Individualized Consideration
He understood the individual needs of his players even if the outcome was
not favorable to the club. As when he let go of very talented and highly
regarded midfielder, Cesc Fabregas in 2011, he said 'To get the best out of a
player, he needs to be completely committed to where he is. Cesc wanted to
go back to his home city, if you understand one thing, it is Cesc did not go
for financial reasons, or that he did not love this club - Cesc went because
he was desperate to play for his home town club, where he was educated. It
is very difficult to resist that’.
 What modern business
4 leaders can learn from
Wenger?
How to help employees build and refine their
leadership skills
Today’s leaders can play a critical role in educating the next generation
– but creating an effective advancement plan requires a thoughtful
approach to training and development.

It’s crucial to identify employees with leadership potential early and

provide resources for advancement. Work with leaders to spot any skill
gaps, build training around the employees, and help them take their
career to the next level. Otherwise, you risk losing potential leaders
to competitors.
 4 Leadership lessons

Emphasize on People Development

S t e p s o n e c a n t a k e t o d r i ve t h e m s e l ve s
Good training programs will help organizations develop existing leaders, while also t o wa r d s b e c o m i n g t h e n e xt l e ve l o f
preparing the next generation. It shows employees that you’re invested in their Tr a n s f o r m a t i o n a l L e a d e r s h i p :
growth and development. This is not just an effective way to encourage skills 1. Identify individual strengths and
development but also to spot leadership potential. The employees that take the time weaknesses
to pursue leadership training likely have the drive and passion to spur them toward 2. Develop an inspiring vision for the
greater things. future

Diversify your team and Identify 3. Motivate everyone to buy into the
vision
4. Manage and involve yourself in
Strengths through team work delivery/process
5. Reinforce your relationships with the
team through trust & loyalty
Creation of a unified team and identify staff’s strengths to enhance abilities and
highlight areas for improvement. Encourage job-rotation to equip employees with
multiple skills. Invest in youth/protégé programs to train leaders in future as part of
departments/companies succession planning program. Promote self-learning and
working together to achieve desired goals.
Conclusion
Finding your nextleader would be a
tough job for Arsenal
Arsene Wenger can very much be categorized
as a transformational leader as he can be seen
as a forward-thinker who creates a vision and
culture within the team he was leading. He was
a highly intelligent individual who immerses
himself in football and strives to know
everything he can about all aspects of the
game both on and off the pitch to develop his
players.

His legacy on Arsenal would be the style he

implemented changing their football style who
has caused increased in fan-base across the
world and sustainability towards the club.
References
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Cross, J. (2015). Arsene Wenger. New York, United States: Simon & Schuster.
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https://www.businessballs.com/leadership-styles/four-is-of-transformational-leadership

Karen, M. (2018, May 13). Five ways Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger changed English football
forever. Retrieved from
https://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/arsenal/359/blog/post/2959355/five -ways-arsenals-
arsene-wenger-changed-english-football-forever

Lawrence, A., & MacFarlane, S. (2016). The Wenger Revolution. Zaltbommel, Netherlands:
Van Haren Publishing.

Practice Makes Perfect. (2015). Retrieved from

https://www.arsenal.com/news/features/20150520/practice-makes-perfect

S, A. M. (2017, March 20). Arsene Wenger: 10 Reasons Why He’s the World’s Greatest
Manager. Retrieved from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/536962 -ten-reasons-why-
arsene-wenger-is-the-worlds-greatest-manager