Five leadership tactics that make Pep Guardiola a great manager

Also, he is known for his tactical and strategic understanding of the game, having the innate ability to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a team and use them to the team’s advantage and his team’s opponent’s disadvantage.

Many people have wondered as to the secrets of his success, even though a documentary called “All or nothing” spelt out 5 key points in his leadership and management style while at the helm in Manchester City.

So, instead of speculating, here’s a reminder of these 5 key points guiding Guardiola’s winning ways.

This is about the decisions that Guardiola uses to enhance his charges’ style of play and what he specifically does regarding what directly affects his team. These decisions concern which starting 11 he uses, substitutions, system of play among others. These decisions are hinged on daring and conviction, a willingness to take tactical and strategic risks.

Guardiola recognises that the players are people who have different feelings and ideas. His ability to key into these and use them to the team’s advantage is singular.

Here he ensures he pushes the players, tactically and physically, with an emphasis on preparation being the key to success. Through this, he learns about what his players are capable of doing as he then finds out how to translate this capability into results.

Guardiola believes in trying new things, discarding what is outdated in favour of what suits the times in terms of sports knowledge and analysis of football. This way he always sets the pace and others follow.

For a team to work, it takes the manager’s recognition that it is filled with different personalities who must be made to feel they are part of something bigger than themselves. Guardiola does this while making sure he gets the best players, while getting the best out of the best.