The All Blacks taught the Boks a few valuable lessons on the field this year, but there’s a lot we can all learn from the way the mighty Kiwi warriors plan and play their winning game
Another ‘traditional’ rugby season has passed, and again South Africa’s national rugby team has been eclipsed by New Zealand, and Australia.
The final log position of The Rugby Championship won’t really matter, and finishing behind the Aussies (who the Springboks drew with twice) also won’t be seen as a national disaster.
The recurring worry is the gap between New Zealand and South Africa. At international and SuperRugby level, with each new season it seems to become all the more insurmountable. But what if the solution to this problem lies within the problem itself?
For sure, you beat the best by learning from them. So why are teams ‘going back to the drawing board’ or ‘getting back to basics’ when losing to New Zealand opposition, when the lessons they dish out are there to be taken in and used?
In order to get to their position of strength, New Zealand have done a variety of key things. It is about picking up on their brilliance, accepting it, and working forward with it as a guide. The exact same can apply for you in your career by working off those ahead of you. So let’s elaborate on this idea and see how it could benefit our rugby teams, and your future job success.
Accept when someone is better
This may not be easy, but it is the vital first step to accept when someone is better than you. There is no shame in this, so don’t fight it. Appreciating those that are better shows great character and an understanding of where you are professionally. This is a healthy place to make progress from.
Understanding the brilliance
With every piece of brilliance, there is a story. Nothing just happens, so find the substance behind the something. New Zealand teams attack space well for example, why is this? By breaking down the elements you can see what you are doing well or where you need to improve. Before you have even implemented anything, you already have a better understanding of your field of expertise.
Develop an idea of what you want to become
People make the mistake of wanting to mimic a ‘superior’ in every possible way in search for success. It’s an easy trap to fall into, but you have to be able to create something unique in your quest for success. Innovation should always trump imitation, so don’t forget this. On the rugby field trying to be another version of the ‘best’ will leave you a close second at best, and in the workplace the same applies.
Stick to your structures
Success is never over night, nor is it even a short or medium term gain. It could take a while, and there will be setbacks and frustrations on the road to success. Sticking to the structures you have set in place will keep you on track, and provide you with a base to reset from should you need.
Resetting and recommitting to goals
If all goes to plan and you reach your goals, this is where the tough part really starts. No matter your field of expertise, competition is stiff and the game is ever changing. All that you have learned to get to the top has to be reinvent and modified to make you even better. People are going to start modelling themselves on you now at this stage, just like you did with your ‘superior’ at the start of the process.
To prove on a rugby level how the above works, let’s go back to 2009 when the Springboks were the best team.
The All Blacks realised they had to be more like South Africa and kick intelligently while doing the basics right in the right parts of the field. They realised you don’t have to always have the ball to win the games but rather capitalise on the mistakes of their opponents to score.
They accepted there was someone better, and they wanted to be better than them. Once there, they reset their goals, and recommitted to creating excellence. Since then they have won two World Cups, and reaffirmed themselves as the dominant team in the sport.
Take a look at the truly successful people in your work environment, and you will find the same sequence of events and personal actions. Enjoy the path to progress. It starts here.
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