Three Big Lessons from Yokohama

This weekend saw the Springboks claim their third Rugby World Cup. Besides being an absolute cracker of a match, there were some big lessons that the business world should take notice of. The after-match press conference was a master class of leadership, strategy, execution, and grace that is so rare these days in the business world, that I thought I just had to share.

 Lesson # 1 “know Your Why”

Coach Rassie Erasmus inherited a team that was in absolute disarray. Having lost the majority of their games in the period before he took over, including a record loss against the All Blacks, he had to make drastic changes, not to the personnel, but to their mindset. 

Captain Siya Kolisi, said that Rassie had called the team together in Johannesburg with a little over 600 days before the world cup and been brutally honest with them saying that the Springboks were more important than personal goals. “it was tough in the beginning but we got used to it” Kolisi commented.

“What you are part of is bigger than the part that you play” especially if what you are doing is part of a cause and not just a “job”. For South Africa, the Boks are a cause. They give people hope of what can happen when we come together with a single-minded purpose and never give up. The Springboks “why” extends past the pitch and the scoreboard. 

 A leader's first job is to set a very clear direction for a team, department or company and then give the people hope. Hope that if they find their “why” and commit their hearts to the cause, they will find a way to win.

 Lesson 2 “Character Before Competence”

So it’s one thing to talk a good game, and it’s another to play one. As a coach, Rassie walked the talk even going so far as to say that if the team lost three games in a row, he would resign, stating, “If I lost three games in a row I don’t deserve to be the Springbok coach”

Imagine if your leaders were that honest? “If I mess up I’ll take the hit!” This is servant leadership personified; it’s the kind of leadership that says; “Your success and my success cannot be separated”

Showing massive vulnerability and honesty as a coach worked, and the team rallied behind him winning the third game that would have been the end of him. The size of the task of winning that third game was epic, none other than the All Blacks in New Zealand! Many have tried and failed at this.

 So, what would your team do for you in your moment of truth?

 Lesson # 3 Dream Big, and Never Never Never Give Up!

Don’t just participate and make up the numbers, dream big and go for it! Even, when the odds are high and firmly stacked against you. Siya Kolisi’s story is now well known, and there are thousands of others just like it. People who rise up and refuse to let their environment get the better of them.

What’s your story? I wonder how many of you reading this article had times when you had no shoes, walked to school or went to bed hungry on many occasions? That’s real pressure. That kind of upbringing would beat most people, yet, here stands Siya, triumphant on so many levels, a real inspiration to anyone who thinks they don’t have the resources to be extraordinary. In this game the team with the most resources didn’t win, it was the team with the most resourcefulness.

 There is a saying that “for those who fight for it, life has a flavour the sheltered will never know”

Well done Rassie, Siya and the class of 2019. You guys rock! And hopefully, the lessons from this campaign will help others to dream about what can happen when we believe in something bigger than ourselves.

My biggest takeaway is this...

“A business/team is a reflection of its leadership", "Resourcefulness is more important than resources" and finally "There is a way when you are committed" ...#StrongerTogether

Watch the full interview here https://youtu.be/uHbIljNf_UA

Regards

Hank