The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #301 with James Kerr

Full show notes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com

  • Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
    • Humility – An ego-less approach. “Serve to lead” mentality
    • Curiosity – Following passion
    • Value Excellence – Focus on doing the small things right
    • These are transferable principles to any organziation
  • The “All Blacks” rugby team “are our Gods in New Zealand.” 
    • They’ve won just under 80% of their games in history
    • Scored twice as many points as their competitors
    • The most successful sports team of all time
  • Sustained high performance
    • Mana = The God within.  The spirit… The ethos that creates excellence decade after decade
  • Surprises? “The softness in this hard game.  A love, a brotherhood, connection, meaning, caring for one another.”
  • How have they sustained excellence?
    • Tradition
    • Starts at the top with the leaders
    • Breaking down old orthodox
    • Like the British SAS – “Rank but no class”
    • Leadership group — It’s not just one coach.  Everyone’s ideas are valued.
  • It’s a player led team – “Positive power of peer pressure.”  That feeling of not wanting to let one of your teammates down
    • “You fight more for the person in the foxhole next to you.”
    • The Spartan sword and shield.  You can lose you sword, but you can never lose your shield.  That helps protect your brother.
  • Accountability – There is leadership at every level
    • It empowers the individual in a project bigger than themselves
    • How does this work in business?
      • Helps them step up, take ownership, be responsible
  • “A leader is responsible for the result.  Good or bad.”

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