DEREK McINNES built the foundations of his managerial career on working successfully with realistic budgets and applying keen restraint when making demands on those above him in the power structure.

According to his first chairman, Geoff Brown, however, there was one very special request made when agreeing to take the helm at Aberdeen which has allowed him to prosper during the course of his three years at Pittodrie.

"When Stewart Milne (Aberdeen chairman) first contacted Derek, Derek contacted me," said Brown, who gave McInnes his big break when promoting him from a player-coach role at St Johnstone in the wake of Owen Coyle's departure to Burnley in 2007.

"I said to Derek that he had to make it a condition of joining that he would not be dealing with people down the ladder. I told him to make it a condition that he would be dealing directly with Stewart.

"Derek said he didn't know if that would happen, but I told him he would not be a success if that was not put in place.

"From what I can understand, they meet in the morning to discuss everything and that is the way to work.

"Over the years, that has not really been Stewart's philosophy. He is a busy man and often likes to leave things to somebody else, but football is different. It is not the same as any other business.

"You have one chance in football. One game. When you have lost the game, there is no opportunity to go back and win it again.

"In most businesses, you can lay down a business plan and work things out, but football can depend on the ball hitting the bar and either going in or going over. How can you have a firm business plan on those grounds?

"Motivation should be coming from the very top. You can have as many executives as you want, but they will all have their own opinions as well, so why shouldn't it just be the chairman and the manager running the club.

"I have yet to come across a business that works successfully by committee."

Brown and Milne both work in construction. Although the former stepped down as chairman of St Johnstone in November 2011, shortly after McInnes left for Bristol City, they remain in regular contact to the extent that Brown left a message on Milne's answerphone demanding a case of champagne for allowing the Dons to win at McDiarmid Park last weekend and draw level on points with Celtic at the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership.

Brown is not surprised by the way McInnes has slowly built Aberdeen into a side capable of offering some kind competition to Celtic. At McDiarmid Park, he guided the club back to the Premier Division following seven years in the wilderness and established their position in the top flight.

Throughout that time, he formed a close bond with Brown, earned his respect. McInnes refuses to discuss about the prospect of winning the title with Aberdeen, insisting that he will be more than content as long as the side beats last season's points tally of 75.

It is not the stuff headlines and hyperbole are made of, but Brown is not surprised by his attitude and finds it commendable.

"When it comes to finance and getting players in, Aberdeen are not in the same league as Celtic," he said.

"Celtic should be walking the league. There is no question about that, but at least Aberdeen are having a bit of a go and that helps Scottish football.

"It all comes down to chiefs and Indians.

"Someone who is a natural chief is not going to get away with spinning stories and white lies and Derek was really good that way with me.

"He'd been captain at Dundee United, Millwall and West Bromwich Albion when he came to us as a player-coach and that is usually a decent guide. He was single minded and knew what he wanted, but he was good to deal with as a chairman.

"In the experience I have had with managers, they tend to want more and more and more and it never stops. In Derek's case, he would ask for something, we would talk it over and come to an agreement.

"He never made demands, stating he must have this or that. I had a lot of respect for that.

"There were no lies, he was straightforward to deal with and just got on with it."

McInnes got St Johnstone over the line in a title race when winning the old First Division in 2009. Is it too much to think he can do the same with Aberdeen at a higher level?

"Is it realistic to think that Leicester are going to win the league in England?" said Brown.

"Can you not put forward Aberdeen as a comparison? Let us just hope it is close because you need as much money into the game as possible and the only way that will happen is if there is a title race.

"If Aberdeen can remain up there until the split, it will make those closing five games very interesting."