After the dust has settled on the historic game between South Africa and England in the Rugby World cup final, I decided to share some of the leadership insights I took away from the experience.
I am not the typical rugby fan but when an entire nation is inspired to unite around a common purpose, you quickly get behind a team that had all the odds stacked against them. I was not in South Africa during the final game, but the support for our team around the world and in every city of our beautiful country caused me to reflect on the journey that culminated in this historic win.
I knew that this win was NOT just about the final, it was a long road of toiling the soil, pruning the vines and investing in the team that produced this fruit. At the press conference following the game with both the Coach and the Captain, it all became very clear why South Africa brought home the cup…it all boiled down to servant leadership.
I see myself as a lifelong student of servant leadership – a concept I learnt early in my career. Robert K. Greenleaf, the father of the term servant leadership, said that a servant leader should seek to be a servant first and care for the needs of all others around them. It was refreshing to see that both the Coach and the Captain shared these values despite the obvious differences in terms of their backgrounds.
So, what was it about this pair of leaders that inspired both their team and country to believe that they had a chance at winning this prestigious tournament?
Here are 5 thoughts that I believe contributed to their victory:
1. Built Trust, Accountability and Ownership
Coach Rassie Erasmus took a bold decision to name Siya Kolisi as the team captain. He came under severe scrutiny but when asked, he said that he chose the best captain for the squad. A good leader hires the right person for the job and stands by the decision despite the critical voices that may come afterwards.
Captain Siya openly shared that the team had frank conversations with Coach Rassie very early on before they started training for the World cup. He said that it was not enough to just speak about the game of rugby but rather they agreed to play the game with everything that they have in them. They spoke honestly about why they were on the team and what they were working towards. He gave clear feedback which helped the team grow. I am reminded of this quote, ‘People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.’
2. United the team with a single purpose
The team knew that the win was bigger than just the game. They understood that the purpose of the win was intended for a bigger cause – uniting a nation. A great leader shares a vision that each member of the team can get behind and own. They all work towards a common goal which brings wider impact for the team as a unit. My mentor, John C Maxwell says, ‘the more you produce as a leader, the more opportunities you create for greater impact through your leadership.’ Individual goals are not the ultimate focus but rather milestones on the journey.
3. Understanding the expectations
One of the questions from a journalist I will never forget is, ‘how did the team manage the pressure?’ Coach Rassie’s answer will forever remain etched in my mind… ‘What is pressure? In South Africa, pressure is not having a job, pressure is losing someone close to you due to crime. Rugby shouldn’t be something that creates pressure on you. Rugby should be something that creates HOPE. We have a privilege of giving people hope and not a burden of giving people hope. Hope is not talking about hope…hope is when you play well, and people come together and feel good afterwards regardless of your religious and political beliefs. It is our privilege to help change these things.’
4. Be consistent
Coach Rassie’s response to the question if South Africa needs to wait another 12 years before they win another world cup highlighted a law which many people and teams struggle with. The Law of consistency from the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth says that motivation gets you going but discipline keeps you growing. Jim Tressel asserts that ‘the hallmark of excellence, the test of greatness, is consistency.’ I agree with the Coach when he says that consistency is the key to unlocking success, in this case wins. Without the discipline of growing and mastering the foundational principals, success will inevitably elude us. It all starts with being consistent in leading yourself before you can lead the team. The wins are needed to keep the team positive and believe that they are capable of reaching new heights.
5. Respect for each other
Diversity and Inclusion is a campaign being driven in many forums today. However, it is not always easy to showcase the benefit this brings. When I watched the opening of the game, it was evident that the strength of the team comes from the diversity of backgrounds, experience, shape and size. It was encouraging to see that the traditional stereotyped face of rugby has started to shift towards including the unlikely player. Each person is respected for what they bring to the team. This can also be applied in a corporate context where a cross functional team is formed to deliver a project or solve a problem from a fresh perspective. I truly believe in the power of diversity.
I will conclude by saying that the power of servant leadership is yet to be fully harnessed to the point where we are #strongertogether. I see a future where we embrace our differences and use it as stepping stones to success. However, it gives me hope when I see leaders bring their authentic selves to their professions and lead by example.
