# Why managers learn from leaders like Napoleon

> Tony Pulis shares how past leaders like Napoleon Bonaparte taught him to handle job losses and rebuild his career.
- Title: Why managers learn from leaders like Napoleon · BBC News
- Summary: Tony Pulis shares how past leaders like Napoleon Bonaparte taught him to handle job losses and rebuild his career.
- Keywords: tony pulis, napoleon bonaparte, football managers, sacking season, leadership lessons, premier league, football career, managerial transitions, sports leadership, BBC News
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ck98z2r17e6po
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: tony pulis, napoleon bonaparte, football managers, sacking season, leadership lessons, premier league, football career, managerial transitions, sports leadership, sports
## Sacking season starts
The November international break begins 'sacking season' for football managers.
## 62% of managers out of work
60 managers resigned or were sacked in the Premier League and Football League since last season, with 37 now unemployed.
## Jim Smith's advice
Jim Smith told Tony Pulis: 'son, you're not a real manager until you get sacked at least three times - so get your backside off the sofa and get on with getting another job'.

> son, you're not a real manager until you get sacked at least three times - so get your backside off the sofa and get on with getting another job
## Bruce Rioch's help
Bruce Rioch asked Tony Pulis to scout for him while he searched for his next job after being sacked in 1994.
## Football's secret to success
Tony Pulis learned that knowing the level and placing the right players you can afford is key to football success.
## Gillingham promotion
Tony Pulis promoted Gillingham to League Two second place in his first season after signing players he had watched scouting for Bruce Rioch.
## Napoleon's leadership
Tony Pulis studied Napoleon Bonaparte's attention to detail and his generals' loyalty as a leader.
## Napoleon's legacy
Napoleon produced the Napoleonic Code, still the foundation of French civil law today.
## Battle of Balaclava
Tony Pulis compared Napoleon's military strategy to the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava.
## HMS Endurance story
Tony Pulis learned leadership from the story of HMS Endurance, where Shackleton led his men through extreme conditions.
## Key advice for managers
Tony Pulis advises managers to get back to work quickly after being sacked, even if it means dropping down a level.
## Why this matters
Experience in all walks of life helps managers learn leadership skills from history and other sports.
## The takeaway
Tony Pulis learned leadership skills from historical figures like Napoleon Bonaparte after being sacked multiple times.
## Key takeaway

Tony Pulis learned leadership skills from historical figures like Napoleon Bonaparte after being sacked multiple times.