He wins trophies. 17 in total. Since 2002 a winner's medal has been present in the Mourinho household.
However, scratch beneath the media hyperbole and it's apparent HE has won nothing at all. Rather, it is the team that Jose Mario dos Santos Felix Mourinho has built that win. His previous employers, FC Internazionale Milano achieved a remarkable treble which included the UEFA Champions League trophy. Given their football might and grand history there is an increased sense of expectation that their new coach Rafa Benitez will have to build on.
Chelsea FC
Porto, Chelsea, Internazionale. Is it luck that the teams are so successful? Is it the money? Is it him? Maybe it's a bit of all three; as in order to appreciate Mourinho's management style you have to understand the past and you have to appreciate his unique application of transformational management leadership theory. In January 2001, Jose took charge of União de Leiria, a tiny Portuguese football club - who have spent post of their existence in Portugal's second division. Almost a year earlier he had been working as assistant manager at FC Barcelona with some of the best players in the world football. He transformed Leiria and guided them to fifth in the Portuguese Liga - their best ever placing. How?
1. Vision
Vision is the principal trigger of transformational leadership. It goes far beyond the excesses of any individual's perspective as the vision has to be challenging yet attractive to the group. When Mourinho was at Leiria, it was his responsibility to question, motivate and frame the vision of the individual group members. The beauty of football is that success can be monitored by what you have obtained by the end of the season and reduces the distraction of multiple goals. Speak to your employees, find out what motivates them and frame the vision.
2. Provide A Strategy To Suit The Vision
A common slight levelled by critics of Mourinho is his defensive cautious style of play. The experience of his time at Leiria provides an alternative view. The key change from the previous season was a greater emphasis on playing attacked-minded football which resulted in a better win ratio. Choosing a strategy which compliments the vision of the group involves careful consideration and is often based on the strengths and weaknesses of the group's components.
3. Translating The Vision Into Actions
The shift in attacking emphasis from the previous season is telling as it forms the third cornerstone of transformational leadership. Letting others know their roles and how this supports the overall vision is key in getting the involvement of group members. Maintaining constant ongoing open lines communication with group members will help them make a contribution to the attainment of the vision. It must be clearly communicated to individuals what is required of them and how their responsibility to accomplish their actions benefits the group.
4. Express Confidence, Decisiveness and Optimism About The Vision & Implementation
Its is difficult to find press or articles which supports Mourinho's ability to communicate the above to the Leiria players (this may be due to the Portuguese media's heavy focus on FC Porto, Benfica and Sporting Lisbon). However, the principles can be observed following his appointment as manager of FC Porto where he sent the following letter to each member of his new team:
"Welcome to Porto," the letter began. "Hope you have recharged your motivation and ambition... From here, each practice, each game, each minute of your social life must centre on the aim of being champions... First-teamer will not be a correct word. I need all of you. You need each other. We are a TEAM." Along the bottom margin of the page, there was an equation: "Motivation + Ambition + Team + Spirit = SUCCESS."
Communicating the vision must be undermined with a resolute belief that the vision can be obtained. A poster, chart or reminder about the vision should be prominently displayed in an area where the team congregates. Ambiguity or confusion on the vision should be reduced and a positive, collaborative environment should encourage. Set aside regular time for group bonding and activities which allow the team's spirit and identity to develop.
5. Set Key Milestones For The Team To Achieve The Vision
The overriding milestone for Mourinho teams since 2002 is to win trophies. This was not achieved at Leiria and but the vision for that particular collection of players may have been different. Perhaps it was to win against one of the top three sides, or maybe it was to generate more wins than the previous season. Regardless, transformational leaders like Mourinho will present key milestones on where the team should be in relation to achieving the realising the stated vision. As it important as it is to set key milestones, it a crucial that small successes are recognised and that the group is rewarded.
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