I’m not in retirement. I’m in the process of repurposing – Daniel Carter
There are many routes a former professional sportsperson can take once their career on the field has ended. Although they may retire from active training and playing, many stay on the sidelines and transition into a role of mentoring, coaching or sports promotion. Others reinvent themselves into a second career option quite different from their sport.
One thing common to all top level sports people is their understanding of leadership. They have been led and encouraged throughout their careers by coaches and mentors, and have themselves provided leadership, acting as role models for their teams and younger players rising through the ranks.
One of those players, former All Black and rugby great, Dan Carter, has gathered insights and experiences gained throughout his career and presents them in his new book The Art of Winning: Ten Lessons in Leadership, Purpose and Potential.
The book is not, according to his recent interview with RNZ, about rugby, but more about the leadership lessons learned as a result of his playing career and his repurposing post playing.
One of those roles was as a Leader in Practice at the University of Oxford, UK. In this role Dan interviewed business leaders including Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn. You can watch the Youtube video of the interview here: Dan Carter’s Legends of Leadership Series: In conversation with Reid Hoffman CBE
You can read more about Dan’s transition from rugby to business leader in his new book:
Art of winning: 10 lessons in leadership, purpose and potential / Carter, Dan
“Ten timeless truths on leadership, purpose and potential – from the unique culture of the All Blacks, and the mind of a living legend. You might think success at the highest level insulates you from pressure and doubt. But nothing could be further from the truth. In this book, I take you inside a journey that has forced me to look inwardly in a way I’ve never had to before. It’s been challenging, frustrating, rewarding and left me full of gratitude. Whether you’re a business looking to work on your culture, a leader on a steep learning curve, a person navigating change in their life or just someone of any age trying to get that little bit better every day, I hope that my experience can spur you on to greater heights, and master the art of winning.
For the first time, sporting legend Dan Carter distils his two decades at the frontiers of high-performance into his ‘perfect ten’ lessons. You won’t find conventional wisdom here, but hard-learned truths, including- – Why great leaders are made, not born, and why they must constantly evolve – How to forge a winning team culture – Why embracing your past can be every bit as important as looking towards your future – Why empowering others leads to the best decisions – Why confidence and self-belief are nothing without humility and a beginner’s mindset.
Honest, surprising and inspiring, The Art of Winning converts a legendary career into timeless lessons for readers in any walk of life. Step inside the unique culture of the All Blacks – and inside the mind of a legend.” (Catalogue) Also available as EAudiobook Libby
The All Blacks are without doubt one of the world’s most successful sporting teams. Success though, isn’t the result of just one or two people but of a mindset that is embedded into the team performance of players, coaches and support staff alike.
Below is a compilation of resources available through Wellington City Libraries collection that look at the success of our national men’s rugby team and what lessons are there for other business.
12 leadership lessons from the All Blacks
Singh, Jasbindar in New Zealand management, Dec 2015/Jan 2016; v.62 n.11:p.M22
Describes 12 powerful leadership, team and life lessons from the All Blacks team.
Legacy : 15 lessons in leadership : what the All Blacks can teach us about the business of life / Kerr, James M
” When the going gets tough, the tough start changing. Difficult times call for different solutions. In his global bestseller, Legacy, James Kerr goes deep into the heart of the world’s most successful team, the New Zealand All Blacks, to help understand what it takes to bounce back from adversity and still reach the top. It is a book about leading a team or an organisation – but, more importantly, about leading a life. The kind of life that you want to lead. In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment, personal leadership has never been more relevant and Legacy goes to the heart of how great leaders – and we are all leaders – ‘reboot’ and reframe their future. It is a truly life-defining read that addresses the big questions – values, vision, mindset and purpose – that, when answered, build the foundation for resilience, excellence and sustained success. This book will change your life. Champions do extra. They sweep the sheds, follow the spearhead, and keep a blue head. They are good ancestors and plant trees they’ll never see. ” (Catalogue)
The captain’s run / Paul, Gregor
“How the captains of the last 50 years have gone about leading the world’s most successful rugby team. The job of All Blacks captain comes with a scrutiny that puts it alongside the prime minister in terms of profile and public expectation. It takes a strong, confident and assured personality to captain a team where failure is never tolerated. The Captain’s Run is a behind the scenes journey into the world of All Blacks captaincy. It reveals how the great captains dealt with the pressure of the toughest job in world rugby, how they coped with failure, and what they would have done differently, if given their time again.”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue) Also available as EBook Libby and on CD
The jersey : the secrets behind the world’s most successful team / Bills, Peter
“This paperback edition contains a new chapter bringing the All Black story up to date. The phenomenal international number one bestseller with exclusive interviews with Richie McCaw, Steve Hansen, Beauden Barrett and Dan Carter, The Jersey is the first definitive story behind the greatest sports team on the planet. … With a better winning record than any other sports team in history, they stand head and shoulders above their nearest rugby rivals. How did a country of just 4.8 million people conquer the world? Peter Bills, who has reported on international rugby for more than forty years, was given exclusive access to all the key figures in New Zealand rugby as he set out to understand the secrets behind the All Blacks success…” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Black Gold : The story of how the All Blacks became rugby’s most valuable asset / Paul, Gregor
“Power, Money and the Team that Reshaped Rugby How did one of the smallest nations in the world produce the jewel in world rugby’s crown? In the professional age, the All Blacks have evolved to become rugby’s most marketable asset and a blueprint for building high-performing teams. But as the All Blacks became commercialised, the tug-of-war between performance and making money has intensified. From the battle between Nike and Adidas for ownership of the black jersey to the newly minted deal with Silicon Valley private equity group Silver Lake, Black Gold reveals how the lure of monetising the brand has impacted the performance of the players and coaches. What sacrifices are being made to increase profit? And is the golden goose at risk of being overcooked? Black Gold is a gripping, revealing book about the inner workings of the All Blacks, the balance of power and what lies ahead for the world’s best-known rugby team.” (Catalogue)
Graham Henry : final word / Howitt, Bob
“Final Word is an honest and reflective look at the life and career of a truly remarkable and often controversial leader. With the Rugby World Cup win in 2011, Graham Henry broke the 24-year curse and restored the NZ All Blacks to the top of the rugby pedestal. But while Graham began and ended his career on a high, along the way he experienced moments of despair, bordering on depression. At the lowest point in his career, he almost gave it all away. This book traces his lack-lustre academic career, surprising considering he rose to become a successful headmaster; his achievements as a cricketer, the origins of his rugby coaching; and his strong partnership with his wife, Raewyn. Graham reveals the drastic measures he took to change the culture within the All Blacks and set them on the path to becoming world champions. In his eight years as coach, the All Blacks maintained an incredible 85 per cent success rate across 106 matches and, of course, claimed the Webb Ellis Trophy at the 2011 Rugby World Cup”–Wheelers Books.com.au.” (Catalogue)
Steve Hansen : the legacy / Paul, Gregor
“Between the years 2012 and 2019, Sir Steve Hansen oversaw an era of such remarkable success that it would be almost impossible to repeat. His 15-year career in the All Blacks coaching team is the heaviest footprint in rugby history. Of the 210 tests he was involved with, his team lost just 25 times. Of the 107 tests he served as head coach, Sir Steve accumulated a record 4 World Rugby Coach of the Year awards and orchestrated 93 victories – a winning percentage of 87 per cent, the highest of any All Blacks coach”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)
Also available as EBook Libby
Rugby : the afterlife : former All Blacks tell their stories / Gray, Wynne
“Way back when there was a clear distinction between work and rugby, great names of the game spent their time working in an office or at a trade or out on the farm, all the while fitting in training and then playing at the weekends. That job/play distinction became hazier through the 80s and 90s until, in the wake of Jonah Lomu’s stunning exploits at the 1995 World Cup and pressure from media barons, the International Rugby Board declared rugby professional. Some players just missed that paydirt, others straddled the crossover years while the rest have never known any different and have always written ‘fulltime sportsman’ on their tax returns as rugby threaded its way through two decades of professionalism. For all of these players, though, there was a finishing line, a final test appearance. Some made that choice, others had it made for them. Some All Blacks had planned strongly for life after rugby, many were pursued hard by companies while others had difficulties settling into the next chapter of their lives. How did they go about that transition? Did they wait for guidance, have a lightbulb moment, take on some serious study or retraining or did they have the security of going back into a family business? How did a lifetime in rugby protect or prepare them for experiences after the game and how and why did they make the choices they did? Rugby – The Afterlife explores in great detail how a number of All Blacks coped with that transition and came out the other side.” (Catalogue)
If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.
