problem hacker #08
Big Dunc and the Death of Straight Talk
Duncan Ferguson got eight red cards in his Premier League career.
He got 3 months in HMP Barlinnie for headbutting an opponent in a Rangers game (note: he didn’t even get a booking for that).
Not a saint. Not subtle. But never, ever hiding.
I started reading his long-awaited autobiography Big Dunc last week. He says he was never a violent man, but he was someone who wouldn’t back down when pushed. And I couldn’t stop thinking about how rare that energy is now. Not the violence. The honesty.
We’ve over-optimised for diplomacy. Everyone’s “collaborative”, “supportive”, “aligned.”
Meetings are full of phrases like “just to build on that” and “might be worth considering…”
But what we really mean is: “This idea’s broken. It won’t work. And no one’s saying it out loud.”
We praise “psychological safety” but punish anyone who speaks plainly. We talk about “candour” but only if it’s accompanied by three compliments and a smile.
It’s performative harmony. And it’s killing the work.
Duncan Ferguson wouldn’t last five minutes in an All Hands. But he’d win every dressing room with one stare down or compliment.
Because people trusted him.
Not because he was smooth, but because he showed up when it counted. Because when it kicked off, you wanted him in your corner.
In leadership, strategy, and product: that’s still what matters.
The Hack: Bring back the honest bastard.
The one who calls out the obvious thing no one else will. The one who doesn’t posture. The one who makes the room better, even if it’s less comfortable.
You don’t need more frameworks. You need a Big Dunc who says: this isn’t good enough, and I’ll fix it.
Polite culture kills progress. Be the Ferguson in a room of Lampards.