I found this a wonderfully motivational book. My family lived for a generation in New Zealand and my father Paul and his twin sister Pauline were both conceived there before the family returned to the UK. The all Blacks have some magic and indeed leave a legacy.
Here are the top 10 lessons from the All Blacks’ culture of excellence that business leaders can learn from:
- Sweep the sheds: Leaders should set an example of humility and respect for the team’s environment, regardless of their position.
- Follow the spearhead: Leaders should be able to inspire and influence others, creating a culture of shared leadership.
- Leave the jersey in a better place: Leaders should take a stewardship approach, focusing on leaving the organization in better shape than when they found it.
- No dickheads: Leaders should be selective in who they allow into their organisation, ensuring that everyone shares the same values and is committed to the organisation’s success.
- Train to win: Leaders should prioritise the development of their team’s skills, fitness, and mental toughness.
- Keep learning: Leaders should have a growth mindset, continuously seeking to improve and learn from their mistakes.
- Communicate effectively: Leaders should foster a culture of open and honest communication, which builds trust and respect within the team.
- Build a brotherhood: Leaders should create a sense of brotherhood and camaraderie within the team through shared experiences and team-building activities.
- Have a higher purpose: Leaders should have a clear sense of purpose beyond just making money, which inspires and motivates the team to be the best they can be.
- Prioritise preparation: Leaders should invest in preparation and planning, ensuring that the team is ready to tackle any challenge that comes their way.
The All Blacks are the world’s most successful sporting outfit, undefeated in over 75% of their international matches over the last 100 years. What is the secret of their success? And what can we – as individuals, companies and teams – learn from them? The All Blacks are the world’s most successful sporting outfit, undefeated in over 75% of their international matches over the last 100 years.
In other arenas, there have been commanding sides that swept all before them, like the West Indies cricket team of the 1980s with their fearsome battery of fast bowlers, or the Hungarian football team who introduced a sophisticated new passing game and famously thrashed England 7-1 in Budapest in 1954. But what makes the All-Blacks different is their supremacy for decade after decade – their sheer consistency, longevity and sustained dominance.
So, what is the secret of their success? And what can we – as individuals, companies and teams – learn from them? Whatever field we are in, how can we play like All Blacks? In Legacy, best-selling author James Kerr is embedded deep into the heart of the All Blacks’ set-up to reveal 15 powerful and pragmatic lessons in leadership. Revealing proven secrets of sustained success, Legacy is a unique, inspiring handbook for leaders in all fields, and asks:
How do you turn vision into action?
How do you achieve world-class standards, day after day, week after week, year after year?
How do you handle pressure, expectation and setbacks? How do you train to win at the highest level?
What is your purpose?
What will be your legacy?