What is the Secret to the All Blacks Success?

Yes, they have the Haka, but they have something more subtle too… the awesome ability to combine effective leadership with dynamic teamwork. Not only have the All Blacks developed a fearsome reputation as one of the greatest rugby teams in the world, but they have also been consistently captained by outstanding individuals such as Colin Meads, Sean Fitzpatrick and arguably one of the best leaders in today’s game – Richie McCaw.

All 3 combined may prove just one leap too far even for the Wallabies!

John Inverdale posed a key question last week in the pre-match review between the All Blacks and South Africa

 “so just, what does make a true leader of a world cup rugby team?”

His fellow pundits – highly revered men in the world of rugby in the shape of Johnny Wilkinson, Sean Fitzpatrick and Francois Pienaar – extolled various virtues of leadership in Richie McCaw:

• The ability to make the right decisions
• When to take the pressure up and down
• Bouncing back from adversity
• Respect from the team and the coaching staff
• A truth and an honesty. Living his values on a daily basis
• To the core, he is what he is – it’s impossible not to feel inspired by that. You know exactly where you stand with him?

All articulate nuggets, but it highlights how leadership is an elusive and puzzling phenomena. It’s near impossible to pin down but not surprising considering it is an intangible matter involving human interaction. We’re not machines so there is no set formula that guarantees success as a leader, or in this case, a captain, as it is a combination of skill and trait characteristics unique to an individual.

I ran a workshop this week for a European automotive company looking at the tricky task of how to tackle leadership and teamwork, so it was with great interest to hear this being examined in the limelight of the Rugby World Cup.

We are often led to believe that in business we have to choose between being a leader and being a team player, but in truth, we don’t need to choose, but demonstrate both qualities. However, the challenge lies in

‘finding effective balance between individual autonomy and  collective action’

McCaw demonstrates this ability with two stand-out key attributes. Firstly, in how he anticipates play and secondly, in how he readily adapts to referees’ decisions. The following table demonstrates further how the top ten characteristics of leadership and teamwork actually correlate with each other rather than spar against one another.

Therefore, if there are areas in your business not quite firing, I suggest you take a hard look at the various elements at play and more often than not, you’ll be able to identify where leadership and teamwork are not yet working hand in hand.

If you want to emulate the success of the All Blacks, you can’t go far wrong by watching a masterclass in action this Sunday at 4pm GMT as Richie McCaw and the All Blacks will no doubt demonstrate how effective leadership and dynamic teamwork work together to produce world class results.

Matt Guiver (MAC, IDI®QA) is a coach, trainer and speaker and founder of Jumpstone International: jumpstoneinternational.com. A consultancy based service offering innovative, interactive and intercultural coaching and retreats (St. Gilgen, Austria). He helps clients discover clarity and perspective in their international business and personal development dilemmas.