I am the Water Boy; Lessons in Leadership

I’ve been wondering about leadership again and started asking questions as to why the 2 top Rugby teams in the World seems to have pulled away from the rest.

In no way am I taking the lofty heights of knowing-it-all or being the expert. This article is about my first observations, based on what I do know, and notice about changing the game, when you’re winning.

I am clear that on paper that the Irish Rugby team are marginally ahead of the Springboks. In both cases I am biased, as I am South African, and lived in Ireland, who educated me, and gave me and my children World Class Educations.

Underlying these biases, may be something closer to the truth.

I am and remain perplexed by Global and National political, social, and economic leadership. And this is why penning to paper my thoughts and feelings might give me and the readers some insights into why Sport, and the game of Rugby may have lessons

Of the 2 countries, what South Africans has achieved from Apartheid, through the iconic leadership of Nelson Mandela has evolved to a level that very few can attest to through the sport of Rugby. A multicultural, non-racist team, where opportunity is afforded to the most underprivileged to the iconic status of a team captain who has led them out on the field to be the current uncontested World champions.

“Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer” Nelson Mandela

What we’ve witnessed here is not happening at National leadership level in a profoundly corrupt country, where the economy is in free fall. Social problems, racial tensions, unemployment, and violent crime have become the ‘winning stats’ of what is supposed to be a democracy, and a rainbow nation.

There are some real key takeaways from the World Cup, and Springbok and Irish performance.

I think this lies in the World of the Waterboy, and ongoing improvement on the field, as it does in the ability to challenge the Status Quo.

South Africa’s director of Rugby has fulfilled both the role of the coach, waterboy, and seriously questioned some of the refereeing, with consequences to himself, having earned the wrath of the IRB, and face match bans, and effectively has been censured for his outbursts.

Regardless of the IRB bureaucracy his actions focussed in on the quality of refereeing, and safety, once again when the captain of the English Rugby team shoulder tackled a South African player, causing the late try scoring opportunity to be disallowed.

And now we are seeing this play out once again in the Six Nations when refereeing has caused serious controversy, with teams, their coaches, and captains having to accept finals decisions, without any relief, explanation or regard for possible changes needed.

Where in in all of this are all the stakeholders involved. Teams, Coaches, Referees, in a Groups session to create player safety, review incidents. Seems though that the press have armchair opinions galore.

“You cannot solve the problem at the same level of thinking that created it in the first place” Albert Einstein.

Subsequently in the heat of the battle, South Africa’s director of rugby has adapted his role and continued to change the game with unconventional tactics, that has earned the wrath of coaches and authorities at the top level, and sustained a high win rate when it matters. He has changed the make up of his benches, used other players to be the waterboy, and made quick calls early on. And is winning by small margins. The charge down of the penalty by Cheslin Kolbe another example, and recent appointment of a former World Cup referee to his team, along with former internationals from Ireland and New Zealand to make up a diverse team, to work with players, as well as blooding 15 new players in his training camps.

And so too the Irish, with a blend of Irish, and players from New Zealand, and Australia, using much of their coach’s Rugby League methods to tighten up and speed up the game in the rucks. An English Rugby League player as a coach, a player’s man, and not the brash type who puts his players under pressure in the press, who interviews well and will not allow himself or his team to be drawn into the drama.

Some simple home truths here for me as lessons in leadership.

The team dynamics speak about ongoing engagement, with these core principles seemingly in place:

Inclusion and Diversity

Players, and coaches from diverse backgrounds, drawn from Rugby fields across the nation, and no longer a game for the privileged alone.

Coaching staff drawn from the top drawers, most of whom have walked their talk, and played at international level or in World Cups, or Six Nations.

On field and off field communication is real time.

The ability to challenge a referee in a non-threatening way.

Integrating former World Cup Rugby referees into their team coaching staff

The leader himself, along with the captain able to communicate clearly on and off the field.

Collective decision making

Ongoing changes in game strategies that have immediate on field impact, good, bad and ugly.

Mistakes as a learning tool for course correction. Meaning realising intelligent failure is a great way to course correct.

Politics, economics and social issues.

These 2 teams draw players and coaches from across the spectrum, and their winning ways attract the attention of sponsors from across the Globe, which encourages their winning ways, and keeps public interest in them well motivated and sponsored-with more and more interest in them.

If not all, the organisations they represent have walked in the shoes of the player.

Their business models work very well!

Politics-given the history of South Africa, the multicultural aspects of creed, colour, religion are obviated as the national theme is about loyalty to a game, each other, the team, the fans, played under their national flag. Very rarely do we have a bipartisan attitude causing friction. The team imposes tough sanctions when people behave badly.

Social issues

Equal opportunity across a broad spectrum politically, socially, and economically for all involved.

Learning

Quick, for individuals and the collective, and ongoing. Mistakes are key to learning, individually and collectively, and with the proper leadership, are used to course correct quickly and get back on the field.

Challenging the Status quo

The ability to challenge refereeing, on field and off field behaviour, and overtly top-down authoritarian behaviour by bureaucrats.

By changing the game, and challenging some calls on and off the field, the game evolves.

They deal with conflict safely, swiftly, and effectively.

In 1980 I was confronted with my own leadership dilemmas. The Short of it was my team were far more capable and experienced that I was.

They were a multicultural team, and I was parachuted in (metaphorically). I became the waterboy and facilitated the set pieces.

What we achieved was astounding as a Group as explorers in our quest to find diamonds in remote Southern Africa.

Most of my adult life this experience stuck with me, as I traversed the corridors of business life, Colleges, and PhD life. I was seriously conflicted about why I was so effective, to the extent that I kept on asking questions, and searching for answers.

The last World Cup offered me those answers, and the ability to deal with these in my own quest for learning about leadership.

I am the Waterboy!