Category: Authentic Leadership

#7 Leadership

When Richie McCaw announced his retirement from Rugby today it was in the same matter of fact and calm way in which he has led the world of rugby for what seems like forever.

I didn’t think I would but I felt quite sad. He’s become so intertwined with the All Blacks that even when he wasn’t on the field, somehow we knew he was there. It feels like a loss.

His leadership has been remarkable – from the front, never giving up, calm and resolute in the face of incredible aggravation, determined – the best role model you could ever hope for.

I said a couple of years ago to someone “you know, we’re in a golden era of Rugby right now”.  And we were, and I hope we still are!

It’s been an amazing ride to be on and I didn’t realise until today quite how important McCaw has been to my own enjoyment of the game. He didn’t just sneak the ball out of the ruck. He sneakily led us all along on a great journey with a climatic end at Twickenham. I was very honoured to see the All Blacks play a few weeks earlier at Olympic Stadium in London. I’m very glad I did, especially now.

Thank you is what to say to Richie McCaw. Every leader can take so much from you, including things we don’t even understand yet, but the results of your leadership are there for us all to revel in. Achievements that will go down in history. And the best Rugby ever!

Stephen

Winning with a story of history

After the All Blacks won today’s Rugby World Cup Final there was the usual (and more) interviews with players and coaching staff. All talked of a great group of men and of playing for each other. The opposition was acknowledged.  Team-mates were acknowledged first: when Ma’a Nonu was asked about his brilliant individual Try his response was that he got a great pass from Sonny (Bill Williams).

In those answers you got a glimpse of the team culture that is about each other and not about individual heroics, although there were plenty today!

What also come through was referencing back to history. Richie McCaw referenced the 2011 tournament and what they had done to build from that. Others including Dan Carter did too.

It was a privilege to be at RWC2015
It was a privilege to be at RWC2015

It seemed to me that to make history, this team planned it from an historical moment in 2011 and drew strength, insights and learnings from that and other experiences in the past. Using Story-telling at its best and most effective I reckon.

You might not make a Rugby-mad public excited as it was today, but what can your stories do for you and your team?

Check out that link for quick tips on developing your own story.

Stephen

 

142 and counting

Richie McCaw will play his 142nd Rugby test tonight.  A world record. He should get to 147 and if the ABs get through the quarter finals at RWC15 to 148 or 149.  Sir Graham Henry says he’s the most influential player in the history of the game. Only two yellow cards (one this year as I recall). Seems calm, dependable, strong and is held in respect. Looked pretty angry last week when the team failed to fire. But didn’t lose his cool (not that we saw anyway!). All great leadership traits.

The rugby public enjoy and admire him.

I’ve never heard Richie McCaw boo or bad mouth an opponent. Even when he’s been eye-gouged he shrugs it off as part of the game.

Tonight the Wallabies will kick for goal.  AB fans will boo to try and put Quade Cooper (a Kiwi) off.

If it’s good enough for Richie McCaw to swallow any bad play directed at him, it’s good enough for us to respect the opposition. Play hard, hate to lose, but don’t be a bad sport.

The public should follow Richie I reckon.  Then the occasional loss wouldn’t be such a bitter pill. Maybe!

Stephen

A testament to our own choices in time

In the movie Testament of Youth young men enthusiastically head to war in 1915 to “do the right thing”, for a bit of an OE and to join their mates. When I walked out of the cinema the phrase Testament of Stupidity came to mind.

Most of the people I know are fortunate to have choices in life. Some people don’t because of restricted society rules, war, cults and other tragedies of humanity.

The young men in the movie appeared to be making free choices. No doubt those who survived would agree that they had far from full information.

We start the Authentic Leadership Programme this morning with 18 managers embarking on a journey of discovery about themselves and others. We’ll start by learning about individual preferences and what others say about us. It won’t be exact information, but time, space and resources will be freely given to enable all the participants to interpret the information and plan for their individual next steps.

Taking new information on board to develop our leadership requires deliberate actions to be made by leaders to ensure the new insights are properly understood, interpreted and acted on. It can’t just be accepting someone’s interpretation of “the right thing” or what our mates are doing.

On the first day of the Programme, and in the ensuing months, our managers will be encouraged to make deliberate choices and changes in their leadership based on full information, reflection and planning. What will matter will be what is best for each leader to grow his or her leadership potential, their teams and their organisation.

Pressure will come for sure, it’s not always easy making changes, but the pressure will be based on honest and full information.

Stephen

Despite my post-movie reaction, Testament of Youth is a powerful story and a great movie.