What the ALL BLACKS can teach us about peak performance

In James Kerr’s book Legacy, we are exposed to working pieces that have made the ALL BLACKS one of the most successful sporting teams of our time. Over 15 lessons in leadership we come to realise some important rituals, habits and the ethos driven culture that continues to help big, strong and intimidating men practice humility, and achieve true mastery; the art of continuous learning and improvement, or KIWI Kaizen as we come to know it.

Lessons:

1. Play with Purpose.

Regardless of our art, it is essential for any individual to be purposeful about their work to get the best out of him or herself. The All Blacks did this by connecting with every individual’s purpose for playing the sport of rugby. This value-based understanding would help build a greater purpose lead by all individuals (team purpose). This team purpose would then be a collaborative goal; reason for existence, the team’s why.

Players would then be connecting to this greater purpose every time the sacred Black Guernsey was worn.

The All Blacks purpose was to ‘unite and inspire NZ”. They did this by adapting the Kaizen methodology of continuous improvement. This is where every individual would incrementally become a better person in all aspects of life. Better people made better ALL Blacks, and better ALL BLACKS are more likely to perform better under pressure and when it mattered, ultimately inspiring and uniting NZ through the most successful era of Rugby.

2. Responsibility.

‘Leaders create leaders’

A trusting culture is essential for any growing environment, and the ALL BLACKS developed trust by giving personal responsibility to the players and more so the leadership group.

The idea of ‘passing the ball’ was developed to ensure that a trusting culture continuously embedded the team growing tighter than ever. This is where the coaching team and staff would regularly let the players lead activities and decision-making, hence ‘passing the ball (responsibility)’. This inclusive environment ensured that everyone was responsible for their decision by having a say. A great example of this was giving the players an opportunity to choose the team captain.

Unilateral decision-making became a key ingredient for such success. The coach clearly expressed goals, provided resources and let the leaders (players or workers) work towards the goal in a clarified time frame.

Importantly, the idea of structure and strategy combined effectively. This is where the coaches would ensure the structure of working weeks were effective, while the team who were the only ones who could impact the score lead the strategy as they are the ones on the field on game day.

Effectively, the ALL Black leaders weren’t necessarily the ones who did the work, but armed the team with the trust and resources within a specified time frame.

3. Learn.

‘The first stage of learning is silence, the second stage is listening’

The All Blacks believed in creating a learning environment, which became an essential element to the ultimate value; becoming better All Blacks. With that, there was a large initiative to learn more about the human mind and art of motivation. Three main elements of human motivation were found:

1. Mastery 2. Autonomy 3. Purpose

These three elements became a frame for a learning environment, one of which questioned the status quo and allowed the All Blacks to incrementally make marginal gains on their competition.

The All Blacks attained the idea of mastery though continuous improvement in everything they did. Autonomy was given to all players through dual leadership structures and allowing players to make decisions and act alone. Lastly, the All Blacks purpose to inspire and unite NZ was developed together; which ensured an emotional connection was embedded in each of the players. A learning environment had become fostered through understanding the elements of human motivation, combining the players for greater purpose while learning and continuously improving along the way.

Important to note was that the All Blacks coaches, like any other business executive team understood that even they had to be part of the learning culture, as a team they won and learnt as one.

4. No Dickheads.

‘It is better to have 100 enemies outside the tent, than one inside the tent’.

A key value for the All Black team was the idea that no dickheads existed. If you were to be an All Black you upheld a set of values that didn't encourage you to burden the team with an act of silliness or despair. The All Blacks represented noble values, one that unite and inspired NZ. Anything short of this was dealt with accordingly, as every All Black knew that the strength of a wolf is the pack.

One interesting note is that it is made clear throughout the book that some of New Zealand’s best players would never get the opportunity to wear the All Black Guernsey because of their personality and lack of discipline. Talent only got you to step 1 in being an All Black.

On one occasion two young all blacks has a big night out that lead to large scrutiny in the media, as the team weren’t going to well. With a dual leadership structure it was decided that the players would have to apologise to team not the coaches or team board. Instead of the typical apology to the outside world, the All Blacks believed it was most important that the players spoke to the team about their embarrassing act, which didn't uphold the values of all Blacks. Both players went on to have an incredible impact in the following games and promised to never let their brothers down again. They were able to turn that personal adversity into a win for the team – upholding the team purpose.

5. Expectations.

‘Aim for the highest cloud so if you miss it – you hit a lofty mountain'. 

Regardless of the external noise and predictions, the All Blacks set their own expectations as a team. They measured their own standards privately, and always knew that they had an option in a reaction to every failure – to go and continuously learn to become better.

An important element of reaching such high expectations was the art of visualization. This is where the All Blacks learnt that the story they told themselves became the life the lived. It became evidently vital to positively envision the lofty goal and work towards it. The narrative of objectives and goal became unrealistic, but they attracted this through effective habits and rituals where and this is where the belief was born.

6. Preparation

‘Train to win’.

The All Blacks trained under an intense rigid structure; where the strategy was to intensify training so that the players were exposed to competition like pressure more often. The objective was to always prepare the mind as much as the body.

This regular intensity helped derive greater results. The challenge for businesses is to look at regular ways to train employees rather than relying on one of training programs, which inspire rather than help an individuals sequentially attain the skills an attributes, continuously improving. 

This program of match like intensity for training stressed the brain and helped test decision-making ability. Those who we’re blue headed (calm, collective) scored a lot higher to those that were read headed (heated, anxious). The All Blacks new that every player could get closer to the blue side, and so through continuously practice, players improved.

7. Pressure.

‘Control your attention’

One key element that every high performance environment includes is pressure. In becoming a world leading team the All Blacks new that they had to keep a ‘blue head’ under pressure situations. Those who stood taller in the most intense clashes often won.

Pressure affects the subconscious flow, and as individuals in high-pressure scenarios we become too conscious of every movement and action, which affects the ability to execute any act at the highest ability. With that, the manner in where we control our attention is where our thoughts will take you, and this creates the emotions and behaviour; ultimately our performance.

The All Blacks learnt that one must work on ensuring all three levels on the brain while under pressure to execute the right act. This is thinking, instinct and emotion. Thinking commonly breaks down under pressure leaving instinct and emotion to inevitably enforce an error. We ensure we keep all three areas alive we must regain situational awareness in all aspects of the present scenarios.

This is done through building anchors and mantras to remind us of the fundamentals and to ensure we’re thinking clearly and of the united purpose at all times. Anyone that isn’t in the present isn’t contributing to the greater purpose. An all black mantra (TQB), which stands for top quality ball give the power to communicate and transform a moment of pressure into a collective moment of understanding and execution.

8. Authenticity.

‘Your word is your world’

Instilled into the All Blacks culture is being the person you were born to be, the answer to what the world is asking of you. To be authentic we must understand ones self, the underlying values that make us unique. This is an important foundation for our performance as those who are not grounded get found out very quickly. Authentic people last because they’re not wearing are mask or living under what is expected of them, rather they are being the best version they can be, truly self-actualising.

Honesty and Integrity within the playing group became paramount for individual and team growth for the All Blacks. Honestly is where the team would foster an environment where honest feedback is welcomed and shared for improvement. Integrity is where each team member keeps their word, aligning individual values to teams. Together, every player trusted each other and as a collective they were unbreakable.

 9. Sacrifice.

‘Champions do extra’

Two questions were asked to every All Black player that proceeded to wear the scared Guernsey for the first time. 1. What do you have to offer the team? What will you sacrifice? These two questions would always differentiate those who are playing for the greater and team purpose or for themselves. Those who would sacrifice more would always give more.

The All Blacks sacrificed through various 1% marginal gains that would gain on their opposition. Whether this was one more rep in the gym, one more circuit or continuously setting priorities straight, the All Blacks acted with the philosophy that there were no crowds lining the extra mile, but it was those alone in that extra mile when no one was watching that represented the sacrifice of a true champion, of a true All Black.

This sacrifice is what was needed to leave the sacred Guernsey and the team in a better position each and every single day.

10. Ritual

‘Ritualise to self-actualise’.

 Rituals are built into people’s lives and organisations to achieve continuous improvement towards long-term goals. These everyday actions are key to enforcing the emotional glue to the bigger picture and purpose. Central to the All Blacks culture and brand is the Hakka. A game day ritual, the Hakka connects to the core of the All Black culture, summoning ancestors to help them in the battle, while bonding together as a greater force.

 Rituals however, have to uphold the renewing purpose and identity that an individual or team represent. After some honest internal conversation, it was revealed that some players felt that the Hakka was another step to get through in a lead up to the game; it was losing its purpose to those who not from the Maori community. Acting fast, the All Black leaders knew that the Hakka has to represent all the players, ensuring each player felt part of the present moment representing a brand that inspired a nation.

 A new Hakka was formed, which reinstalled legacy and meaning of the ritual. Lead by the team the Hakka now represented every player from diverse backgrounds. The All Blacks continued to tell a story through the intimidating routine as they aspired to spread the black plague across the opposition once again. Like the All Blacks, we all have rituals that represent a lot about us as an individual, but like the All Blacks we must continue to renew these rituals to represent who we are becoming as we embark on our unique journeys.

 11. Be a good Ancestor

‘A society grows great when old men grow trees whose shade they’ll never see’.

Wearing the All Black Guernsey is a privilege that is never taken for granted. Instead, the All Blacks constantly remind each other that they are merely the body within a Guernsey and the sacred opportunity for each player is to add to the number and pass it in a better state than it was received. This is the ultimate act of passing a legacy, to be a good ancestor.

This idea ensured that players upheld the right values to meet the ultimate goal of continuous improvement, KIWI Kaizen. The more they improved, the better the legacy they left behind for the next generation to uphold. With this in mind the All Blacks became more concerned with their character than their reputation. In the end, it was what the players influenced in the life of others that mattered most – and together the All Blacks combined and united to become the most successful team in modern sporting history.

12. Practice Humility.

The book started with a distinct ritual that the leaders within the All Blacks team would undertake after every game regardless of the result. The players would proceed to sweep the sheds of all the mud and mess that will fill the rooms during the proceedings of a game. Regardless of their status or the fact that the club’s support staff could have easily fulfilled this act, choosing to sweep the sheds became a clear example of how the All Blacks practiced humility; the art of lessoning the importance of oneself. This helped keep the team grounded at all times. It made them better people, ultimately better all blacks. No excuses, the sheds will be swept.

Legacies are left by the actions of one or many. They are built overtime, and just like the idea of continuous improvement, the effectiveness compounds in value and effectiveness the longer and harder this is practiced. James Kerr summed it up best, ‘what you leave behind isn’t what’s engrained in stone monuments but instead what you leave in the lives of others’.

Conclusion

15 men, from a little known country that barely compares to the population of some city’s have dominated a sport for a century and built a dynasty that will most likely out live us all. The lessons before us outline the clear structures that helped create a professional and ferocious environment that not only inhibits growth but demands strategic excellence. The All Blacks understood the power of the mind, the biology of human motivation and created a world perfect for those who were willing to die for the Guernsey, the ultimate sacrifice. Every player is given a little black book on their first day of being inducted to the team. The book came with an outline of all the players before them that wore the same number, and the rest of the book was full of blank pages. The blank pages represented opportunity, the ultimate gift to write ones legacy. Just like the blank pages, we have days and weeks in front of us, which currently are blank; what rituals and actions will you choose to undertake when they arrive? Your choices will create your destiny and add to your own legacy, good luck.