In our most recent Assemblies, we discussed the All Blacks Rugby Team. In his book ‘Legacy’, James Kerr, having researched the rise of the All Blacks to one of the most successful sports teams in history, identifies 15 ‘leadership and life’ lessons that can be transposed to organisations and teams to make them successful.
There are four of these lessons that we discussed and identified as being valuable to any group, whether it be a dance troupe, a sports team, a family, or a classroom.
- Sweep the Sheds. Taking responsibility, clean up after yourself, don’t consider yourself ‘above’ the role of tidying up, look after yours and others possessions, and model respect for others and one’s environment.
- No Idiots (a cruder term in the book) – a belief that team members must contribute positively to a team culture, that those who do not respect others, or who participate in a selfish manner, are detrimental to a team.
- Train to Win; practice in a manner that reflects your desire and outcome… training and practice should be done to the best of one’s ability.
- Keep A Blue Head; maintain a sense of calmness, especially in adversity. While we know that expressing emotions is important, especially for males, channelling anger and frustration and the desire to win in a manner that doesn’t adversely affect ones performance is critical.
