Articles Lifestyle Mr Old Man Mikel Arteta – A Different Kind of Leadership By Mr Old Man Posted on 21 minutes ago 4 min read 0 0 1 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Reddit Share on Pinterest Share on Linkedin Share on Tumblr Under Mikel Arteta’s leadership, Arsenal finally returned to the top of English football after 22 long years. Interestingly, Arteta once served as assistant coach to Pep Guardiola — one of the greatest football managers of modern times and a man who changed the landscape of English football. This post is not really about football tactics. Mr. Old Man is not even a hardcore Arsenal fan What truly caught Mr. Old Man’s attention was Arteta’s way of inspiring people and building a culture strong enough to bring Arsenal back to glory for the first time since the Arsène Wenger era. Only three months after taking charge, Arteta brought an old olive tree to Arsenal’s training ground at London Colney. The tree was nearly as old as the club itself and became a symbol of the roots and culture he wanted to build. Arteta’s motivation at Arsenal – pickpockets, olive tree and lightbulb The olive tree had to survive the harsh English weather — just as his players had to learn how to endure pressure, setbacks, and difficult times. In an interview with The Guardian (April 2026), Arteta said: “It’s easy when the sun is out and there’s plenty of water. But when storms come, when it gets windy and frozen, how are we going to look after that tree? That was my way of representing what we are trying to build through a living thing.” Arteta’s motivation at Arsenal – pickpockets, olive tree and lightbulb Reading that story, Mr. Old Man wondered how many leaders — in football or business — would think of something so simple, symbolic, and deeply human. Most leaders can still succeed through KPIs, systems, incentives, meetings, and endless urgent emails marked in red But Arteta bought an olive tree. Simple… yet powerful. Back in his banking days, Mr. Old Man attended many leadership and management courses. But honestly, no theory or classroom framework ever felt as real and emotionally compelling as the way Arteta inspires and connects with his players. So if Mr. Old Man ever had the chance to meet Arteta, he would probably use the English third conditional — the grammar structure for something impossible in the past “If I had known you earlier, I would have become a better leader.” Sometimes leadership is not only about strategy. Sometimes it is about creating meaning people can feel. ____ Mr. Old Man Photo credits: GOAL, Arsenal media and public online sources.