Tackling Business Challenges - Lessons Learned from the 2023 Rugby World Cup: Celebrating Wins and Losses

This marks the last post in a series of discussions that draw connections between the world of rugby (the greatest sport on the planet) and its relevance to the business world.? The goal of this dialogue was personal and aimed at improving my ability to articulate leadership thoughts, and in that sense there has been a definite improvement.

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I have a confession. I initially titled this post "Win or Lose we Hit the Booze!", a phrase often used in days gone by in rugby. However, as I've pondered the concept, I don't completely agree with how it comes across. The reason for this change of heart is that I have very fond memories of this concept in club/social rugby, but at the high-performance level, I think the phrase paints the wrong idea.

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I am also going to keep this post short, focusing on how to "celebrate losing." I'll use the words of Fabien Galthie to show us a stellar example of how to effectively do this.

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Celebrating Wins is easy. How do you "celebrate" losses?

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In the 2023 RWC, I was cheering for France. I believed they had the team to win the competition and had done everything right to get there on home soil. Alas, a charged-down conversion in the quarter-final (wtf!!???) was the difference. When you consider this slimmest of margins, on the largest of stages, we can start to see how one might think about celebrating the positive aspects of losing a game of this magnitude.

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As we then ponder how we translate this example, I think the comments of France's coach Fabien Galthie are extremely telling:

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"We'll be scarred for life, and that's part of our journey. We've all been through a kind of introspection, first personally and then collectively, about what we've been through."

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"One point is nothing, but one point is everything," he said. "Tactically, I'd use the same strategy if I had to do it all over again... Despite the facts of the game and the match scenario, our aim was to play for the win right up to the last action, whatever happened."

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However, Galthie was optimistic about their chances for the 2027 World Cup, which will be held in Australia.

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"When we put the team together after the (2019) World Cup in Japan, we had a squad with an average age of 24. Against South Africa, our average age was 27," he said. "In four years' time, if the team stays the same, the average age will be 31. Depending on turnover, our collective experience could increase by two years and 20 caps. From that point on, I think the team will be stronger than the one that lost by one point to South Africa."

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So, let's break this conversation down a bit.

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Galthie has been open about how devastating the loss is and how difficult this will be to heal. He's framed the magnitude so everyone knows.

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He outlined the goal of what they were trying to achieve, objectively reviewed the match, and is confident in the strategy that was employed.

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He has reviewed the road that got them to this point (reflective), assessed the position they are in today both subjectively and objectively (wounded/healing, tactically sound), and has taken a view to the next major milestone and their potential to build there (winning in Australia).

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If there are takeaways for business out of this, I would express them as such:

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1. Address the difficulty in losing - be human.
2. Objectively review how it happened.
3. Subjectively review the past, present, and future.
4. Start planning for the next win.

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The process of "losing" in business is never this simple, but when you break things down to manageable chunks, this simplistic thought process can be a great starting point.??

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Lastly, it's common to hear people emphasize their dislike for losing over their enjoyment of winning. While I acknowledge and respect this mindset, I find myself on the flip side of that coin. The fear of losing doesn't serve as my primary driving force; rather, it's the burning desire to attain greatness that fuels my actions. I firmly believe that setbacks are an inherent part of life, sports, and business, given our imperfections. What compels me to get out of bed every morning is this mindset and the unwavering commitment to strive for greatness.

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Thank you for all of the feedback over the course of these discussions and feel free to reach out if you'd like to chat more on any of the topics.

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Ryan

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Allez Les Bleu.?