Carrick Shows Leaders Pick Better Teams

BusinessCarrick Shows Leaders Pick Better TeamsByCiarán McArdle,Forbes Books Author.for Forbes BooksAUTHOR POSTExpertise and opinions of authors published by ForbesBooks. Imprint operated under license. | Paid ProgramMay 11, 2026, 11:26am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.A great leader can revitalize a whole organization and change its direction.gettyAt the beginning of this year, I was feeling pretty confident that Manchester United were doomed. Despite an excellent summer window, United weren’t living up to their potential. Their rebuild project, which looked so impressive from afar, seemed to have stalled. We were no longer terrible; we were just mediocre.So what a breath of fresh air it has been since Michael Carrick took over from Ruben Amorim. It’s like watching a whole new team. We score more and defend better. And where did all those impressive passes and runs come from? That’s what a great leader can accomplish. They can revitalize a whole organization and change its direction. Like Steve Jobs returning to Apple or Lee Iacocca at Chrysler, Carrick has come in and made a once-great company seem like a winner again.Doing that requires a lot of skills (far too many for a single blog post), but there’s one quality all great leaders share: They know how to pick their best team.Who Belongs in Your Starting XI?I conclude my book, The Soccer of Success, with a chapter on building teams. The advice is simple: “Your success is not just about having a team; it’s about building the best team.”I’m not coming up with this out of nowhere. McKinsey backs this up, while also pointing out just how difficult this can be. That’s no reason to give up. I’ve discovered a clear roadmap to building better teams. First, you have to get rid of the bad apples. As I like to put it, “a team is only as good as its worst attitude.” Carrick has been able to shine because United has done a very good job...