Wayne Rooney: Captain On The Field, Leader In The Office

It’s hard to believe a decade has gone by since 18-year-old Wayne Rooney wore the famous Manchester United red shirt for the first time after completing a deadline-day move from Everton in the summer of 2004.

His debut was spectacular, with a hat-trick in a 6-2 Champions League victory over Fenerbahce on 28 September 2004. The striker has gone on to carve out a highly successful and trophy-laden career for club and country, both of whom he now captains. Indeed, his managers at each level, Louis van Gaal and Roy Hodgson, see him as the perfect candidate for both roles.

Van Gaal and Hodgson’s decisions to make Rooney captain tie in with a number of Aon Hewitt’s five steps in positioning new leaders for success. Aon Hewitt knows having an engaged leader in business is a key factor in building an engaged workforce, and the same applies in football. Step one is focused on the selection process, which involves looking at the cultural fit and learning agility of the candidates in the running. This is something van Gaal took very much into account when picking Rooney.

“For me, the choice of captain is always very important. I took three weeks to observe all my players in the USA on tour and I think Wayne is ready for it,” explained the United manager. “Wayne has shown a great attitude towards everything he does. I have been very impressed by his professionalism and his attitude to training and to my philosophy. He is a great inspiration to the younger members of the team and I believe he will put his heart and soul into his captaincy role.”

The Reds boss also highlighted the importance of Rooney’s influence within the dressing room and away from the action on thefield. “I have also explained to him that outside the pitch is also very important to me. He accepted the responsibility,” revealed van Gaal. And in the way Aon Hewitt’s research has found that managers can directly impact engagement level among their subordinates, van Gaal added: “His attitude has been excellent and I like him very much, how he trains and also how he performs in the games and how he has performed to his fellow players. I believe he shall be a great captain for Manchester United.”

Rooney has labelled the responsibility “a huge honour” and says it’s a dream he always felt destined to fulfil. As captain, he intends to ensure he keeps motivating and inspiring those around him, in the way a leader in business would engage his employees.

“Being captain is always a responsibility I have had in me, especially on the pitch,” said Wayne, now in the club’s all-time top three goals coring list alongside Sir Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. “It will be a little bit different now off the pitch with new responsibilities, but I have always felt I am a leader on it. My aim has always been to help us win games.

“The time is right for me to be captain and I am ready for the responsibility. Only time will tell whether I can be a successful captain but I will certainly be giving everything I can to help this club win trophies.”

Another step in Aon Hewitt’s leadership success model looks at having a series of meetings to facilitate integration and gather information. Rooney says good communication between the players is vital on and off the pitch, and this is something of which he has taken a leadership role.

“I have always been vocal either on the pitch or in the dressing room. There have been times both for England and United when I have been told to be quiet!” he joked. “It has always been a part of my game and I think it is important that players speak to each other. You have to communicate. That is the only way you are going to help each other.”

Another part of Aon Hewitt’s recommendations for positioning new leaders for success focuses on pre-boarding and the importance of creating an onboarding team to support the new leader’s assimilation, each with responsibilities. In business, that team may consist of an employer, HR leader, administrative assistant, recruiter, and a mentor. In United and Rooney’s case he has the support of his manager, assistant boss Ryan Giggs and the other coaches, and his team-mate and close friend Darren Fletcher who van Gaal selected as vice-captain.

“Darren is a natural leader and will captain the team when Wayne isn’t playing,” declared the Dutchman. “He is a very experienced player and a very popular member of the dressing room. I know he will work well alongside Wayne.”

Scotland international Fletcher, who, like Rooney, is also captain of his country, sees his team-mate as the ideal man to lead the Reds and is relishing the part he can play in helping him.

“Wayne and I have always worked well together and we will continue to work closely in our new roles. Wayne is the captain but I’m there to help him in any way possible and be a leader in the dressing room alongside him,” explained the midfielder. “I’m very grateful to the manager for putting his trust in me. He has basically just said to me to keep doing what I’m doing and not to change anything and that’s my mind-set. I’m not doing anything differently to what I’ve done in the last four or five seasons. You find yourself getting older and experienced and in a position where you try to help people and lead a bit.

“I’ve learned so much from all the great captains I’ve played under and you to try to translate that to help others in the dressing room. That’s all you can do – be a voice on the pitch, help people out and if someone is in a little bit of trouble go and speak to them and just do as much as you can. If I take bits from all the great captains I’ve worked with I won’t be going far wrong.”

Aon Hewitt has also looked into the factors involved in leaders having direct impact on engagement levels within their teams. They pinpoint inspiration, reflection, having an action plan and support as the key elements, all of which Fletcher believes is encompassed in Rooney’s make-up as captain.

“He is a born winner who wants to win everything,” he declared. “His desire and determination on the pitch sets the example and he has a never-say-die attitude. In the last few years he has developed a real leader’s role in the dressing room in terms of the voice he has in there. He’s great at helping people and giving advice to younger players – he’s really developed that. He is going to be a fantastic captain for Manchester United.”

To learn more about Aon Hewitt’s talent strategies for organizational success, click here.

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