Why this famed soccer coach is invited to speak at a technology convention

Evy Pitt Stoller
Updated



Often, when we think of success, we think of money, fame or family. For Sir Alex Ferguson, the renowned former manager of the Manchester United football club, the word that comes to mind when he contemplates his success is 'consistency'.

Ferguson's new book, "Leading," cowritten with Sir Michael Moritz, delves into the qualities and motivational tools necessary to lead. A featured speaker at the upcoming TechCrunch Disrupt in London, Ferguson will share the sage wisdom present in his book with ambitious entrepreneurs and startup teams. Be sure to watch it live on AOL.com on Monday, December 7th!

SEE ALSO: Michael Moritz puts the tech ecosystem in historical perspective

TechCrunch Disrupt is the "world's leading authority in debuting revolutionary startups, introducing game-changing technologies, and discussing what's top of mind for the tech industry's key innovators." The convention will include lectures, a 24-hour "Hackathon", where development teams will be given one day to create an enthralling product, and, of course, an after party.

Ferguson is among the nearly 50 respected investors, tech geniuses and moguls invited to speak at Disrupt. Since he is celebrated for his career in soccer, he might at first seem like an unlikely invitee to a technology convention. However, his cowriter Moritz, an influential journalist and investor who was knighted in 2013 for his "investing success and charitable giving," explains why Ferguson is a fantastic choice to speak to a crowd of aspirational leaders:

[Sir Alex] and his teams at Manchester United, exemplified all that I admired about leadership and the perpetual quest for perfection ... [Another reason] was a desire to jot down the observations and lessons of a winner's lifetime with the hope that they would be useful to others who aspire to lead -- particularly those under thirty, who brim with talent and ambition, but yet to have been hammered and buffeted by the challenges, setbacks and frustrations of life at the helm.


Ferguson's consistency, Moritz goes on to explain, is "something easy to say and almost impossible to achieve over many years in the most demanding of situations." Nonetheless, Ferguson stands behind his consistent methods, insisting that "winning anything requires a series of steps."

%shareLinks-quote="Nobody is going to take a climbing team to the foot of Everest, point to the summit and say 'Okay, lads, get up there.'" type="quote" author="Sir Alex Ferguson" authordesc="" isquoteoftheday="false"%

This thought process is the one that not only helped Ferguson shape Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham into the soccer stars they are today, but also find personal, consistent success in his own right.

Check out the book cover (story continues below):



Ferguson and Moritz detail methods of success in their book, "Leading," available now, and will emphasize their modi operandi at the ultimate hub of innovation, TechCrunch Disrupt 2015 in London on December 7th and 8th. Don't forget to tune in, live on AOL.com!

Want to pick Sir Alex's brain a little more? Watch the video below:

Interview With Sir Alex Ferguson
Interview With Sir Alex Ferguson



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