301: James Kerr - How To Create An Ethos Of Excellence (Legacy)

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."

Om Podcasten

Leaders are learners. The best leaders never stop working to make themselves better. The Learning Leader Show Is series of conversations with the world's most thoughtful leaders. Entrepreneurs, CEO's, World-Class Athletes, Coaches, Best-Selling Authors, and much more.