Learning from the All-Blacks

The New Zealand All Blacks are the most successful sports franchise in history.

They have claimed three World Cups and won more than 75% of the matches they have played in their 125-year history – more than any major national sports team. Such is the dominance of the All Blacks, that its followers go to matches wondering not whether their team will win, but rather by how much.

But by the early 2000s, the fabled All Blacks culture was showing signs of wear and tear. It was brought back to life by Sir Graham Henry in 2007 and evaluated by author James Kerr in his bestselling book ‘Legacy’. The performance environment of the All Blacks derives from their culture. Henry wanted a fresh culture that placed emphasis on individual character and personal leadership.

We’ve broken down the All Blacks environment into five key areas, all of which featured heavily in the research conducted by Kerr:

• Sweep the sheds: Most elite sports teams have extensive support systems in place to allow the athletes to focus on the game. Everything is taken care of for them. Not the All Blacks. Before leaving the dressing room at the end of the game, the team stay behind and tidy up after themselves. They literally ‘sweep the sheds’. This is an illustration of personal humility, setting standards, a fundamental All Blacks value, something which has become core to their culture.
• Follow the spearhead: The All Blacks have a mantra, ‘‘Better People Make Better All Blacks’. Team selection isn’t solely based on talent, it considers character just as important, if not more. Some of New Zealand’s most talented individuals have failed to pull on the famous jersey as their character would be detrimental to the cohesion of the group. 
• Champions do extra: Within the All Blacks, there is an emphasis on working harder than the opposition; in the case of the All Blacks the chosen phrase is, ‘Champions Do Extra’. Suggesting a team will work harder than the opposition sounds simple, but it’s the hunger to go above and even beyond this that separates the good from the great. The overarching focus is on continuous improvement, continuing to evolve the learning environment, staying ahead of the competition, and a willingness to spill blood for the jersey.
• Keep a ‘blue’ head: A key ingredient to any successful, dominant force is performing when it matters. How many times have we seen some of the world’s top teams and individuals fall by the wayside as the situation simply becomes too much? Psychologists and neuroscientists continue to look into the phenomenon of ‘choking’, and this was something the All Blacks identified after a below par performance at the World Cup in 2003. This was where ‘Red Head’ vs ‘Blue Head’ was born. These opposite colours symbolised the psychological state of either being stressed, pressured, panicked (red) or cool, calm and focused (blue). 

• ‘Leave the jersey in a better place’. This is perhaps the most famous mantra implemented by the All Black hierarchy, a signification that the task of anyone pulling on the jersey is to ensure its predecessor can transition seamlessly. This is an example of higher cause, the All Blacks are more than a sports team, they are a way of life for a large majority of New Zealand, players will come and go, but the symbol of the jersey remains constant.

Full article at: https://leadersinsport.com/performance/creating-high-performance-environment/

James Kerr’s book ‘Legacy’ is available here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/legacy/james-kerr/9781472103536

• What are your reflections on the elements from this article?
• How could you take the learnings from the All Blacks and implement them in your own performance environment within the equestrian world?