Stay Grounded, Play Bigger

A note to young leaders.

Culture matters.

Just ask the All Blacks – one of the most successful teams in the history of sport.

Dan Carter, an all-time great rugby fly-half, said that after every game in which he excelled, Steve Tew – the CEO of NZ Rugby – would come up to him and gently kick his feet.

“Just checking”, Tew would say with a smile. “Just checking your feet are still on the ground.”

He was reminding Carter that it’s not about personal glory – stay grounded, no one is bigger than the team.

If an All Black received an award and didn’t first thank their teammates, they wouldn’t last long – such was the strength of that culture.

“Better people make better All Blacks” was a lived value.

And the results speak for themselves.