What We Can Learn from the All Blacks

When teams square off against the All Blacks, New Zealand's powerhouse rugby squad, they're not just facing fifteen players in black jerseys; they're confronted with the haka.

According to Māori tradition, the haka channels ancestors' spirits, giving the players a power that transcends the physical.

By the time the haka hits its peak, the psychological battle is often already won. The All Blacks' 87% win rate isn't just an athletic feat; it's fueled by a shared identity, a belief system, and pride to be a part of the team and a unique culture.

The way the All Blacks cultivate their winning culture is a masterclass in leveraging the power of shared identity. And it all starts with a small black book.

The Black Book

When a player joins All Blacks, they’re given a small black book. The first page shows a jersey from the 1905 Originals, the first tour. Then, there’s a jersey from the 1924 Invincibles, and as you flip through it, there are pages of other jerseys until the present day. The pages of the black book are filled with principles, heroes, values, the ethos, and the team's character. And then, the rest of the pages are blank, waiting to be filled. By the player.

It’s clear from day one that players don't just represent themselves, they represent an entire history, a whole culture that has its roots deeply intertwined with the land they come from and the ancestors who came before them.

When they take to the field, they are the living embodiment of a tradition that values unity as much as it does individuality. And that’s true cultural alchemy at work, a masterclass in how a shared identity can catapult performance from great to legendary.

The Power of Shared Identity

Shared identity and pride in being part of something greater than oneself drive outstanding performance. Not just in rugby. At work, too.

When I delved into the experiences of over 3,000 people from varied backgrounds and generations, a striking pattern emerged: peak performance and deep fulfillment at work rest on three pillars, and one of them is an undeniable sense of shared identity.

But what is shared identity, exactly?

A shared identity is a mutual acknowledgment of a collective purpose, values, beliefs, and often a common history or experience.

The best and certainly the pithiest definition of shared identity I have come across is from one of my mentors, Seth Godin. This is how he articulates it:

People like us do things like this.

Take the All Blacks. They don't just talk about values like humility or teamwork; they live them through tangible actions—like "sweeping the sheds" or "training to win." These aren't just catchphrases; they're guiding principles and behavioral norms deeply ingrained in how the team operates on and off the field.

Leveraging Optimal Distinctiveness

The All Blacks might not articulate it this way, but the magnetism and power of their shared identity stems from a concept called "optimal distinctiveness." It's not just about belonging; it's about belonging in a way that brings out the best in each individual and the collective.

The idea of optimal distinctiveness was developed by Marilyn Brewer. Brewer discovered that the most compelling groups often fulfill two basic but conflicting human motives: to belong and to be different. In other words:

We seek meaningful commonalities with our in-group but want to be different from other groups.

All Blacks shared identity couldn’t be more different than other rugby teams. And that’s exactly what makes it so powerful.

In the corporate world, the outliers, like Zappos, Patagonia, and Netflix, have cracked this code, too. They aren't afraid to zig when everyone else zags. They're distinct, sometimes even contrarian and that uniqueness is what makes their cultures a powerful driver of performance and engagement. These companies are certainly not for everyone. But for some people? They are the place to be. They've created cultures where employees feel like part of a mission and ethos they can identify with and be proud of. They leverage a sense of belonging in a way their competition can’t.

But what if you're not clocking in at Netflix or Pixar?

You can still cultivate a potent shared identity for your team, even if the broader organizational culture isn't exactly the stuff of legends. The secret sauce? Leveraging the concept of 'optimal distinctiveness.' Your first step is pinpointing the qualities that make your team exceptional—especially those that directly fuel your mission. Then, amplify those traits. That's how you carve out your own culture of success, no matter where you work.

How to Be Different - on Purpose

Find out who you are and do it on purpose. - Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton said it best. Your first order of business is nailing down who you are - your team's core purpose.

Need help pinpointing it? Grab my free guide right HERE.

Take, for example, our purpose at the CultureBrained? Community:

We facilitate connections, sharing and learning among passionate leaders to support them in cultivating a culture where people do their best work.

Once you've zeroed in on your team's raison d'être, the next move is to dive into storytelling. The goal? To identify who you are at your best when you are in service of your purpose.

You will be looking for two types of stories:

• Stories of challenges faced and overcome: These stories illustrate a specific hurdle your team encountered and reveal steps taken to surmount it.
• Transformation stories: These stories demonstrate how you or your team has made things better for others - team members, clients, or the society at large.

The authenticity and richness of your shared identity are in these stories. The more you gather, the fuller the picture you'll have. So make it a team affair - ask everyone to contribute and pick the stories that illustrate best those moments when you truly shine.

Then, gather round in what we like to call "Fireside Chat Event." Here, your colleagues bring the stories to life while the rest of the team puts on their detective hats to identify the underlying principles that propel you to success.

You'll probably end up with a laundry list of principles—easily over 30. What you're really hunting for are the Core Principles, the non-negotiables that define who you are as a team. How do you sift through the pile?

Use the matrix below.

It's a sieve to separate the wheat from the chaff. Evaluate each principle based on two criteria:

1. Its capacity to be a strategic enabler in fulfilling your team's purpose.
2. Its uniqueness—how it sets you apart from the rest of the teams out there.

This way, you're not just identifying principles; you're pinpointing the unique DNA of your team's culture.

Your Turn - Create Your Own Black Book

Want to have a team as successful as the All Blacks?

IFirst, snag my free guide to nail down your team's purpose—that bedrock of your shared identity.

Next, get the ball rolling: round-up stories that define you, organize your own "Fireside Chat Event," and mine those narratives to unearth the Core Principles that are non-negotiable for your team.

Trust me, the effort's worth it. Dive into the data, like I have, and you'll see a crystal-clear pattern: the standout teams aren't just rallied around a common goal; they're powered by a shared identity that transforms a collection of individuals into an extraordinary team.

Want more?

Listen to my interview with Seth Godin

Listen to my interview with Jay Van Bavel, PhD

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