3 things rugby has taught me about leadership

The 6 Nations kicks off tomorrow and I can’t wait. This year the tournament is wide open – Wales may be favourites, but have tough trips away to England and Ireland to overcome, whilst England are hoping to build on a promising Autumn Series.

Whoever you support, many of us who have grown up playing rugby have found that it is the best game in the world. Apart from being good for fitness and great fun to play, here’s 3 things rugby has taught me about leadership:

1)      Take your mates with you

You see it all the time. It starts so well. The players go through the phases. The prop takes the ball up, takes the tackle, goes to ground and two of his mates behind him come straight through and remove the opposition, protecting the ball and their teammate.

But then it happens.

At some point, someone picks up the ball, runs away from his teammates and into trouble. He is inevitably tackled (unless he’s Jonah Lomu) and there is no one behind him to protect him. The ball is taken, the player is left with a bruised ego and a bruised head and the opposition have a platform to attack.

Rugby rewards the team. And good leaders know that they need right hand men, men who are there when the going gets tough. Men who are there when the opposition is swarming around them. Men who are there when you drop the ball and risk losing all that you have built.

When a man gets isolated this happens all too often. He stops being accountable and there’s no one to warn him away from the flirtatious new work colleague. He forgets to have fun with his mates and work consumes him. He neglects to get advice on the new car and yes, a month later the clutch has gone.

In short, leaders should only ever go into battle with faithful men one step behind them.

 

Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12-13)

 

2)      Respect the referee. And each other

Rugby taught me from a young age that people have something to give, even when their appearance makes me doubt (the fat kid in my class giving me a welcome when I tried to run through him is one instance I remember - I think).

Whether you have power, pace, jumping prowess, a Jason Robinsonesque side-step, handling or technical skills you can have an impact in a rugby team. Tall or short, stocky or lanky there is a place for everyone.

In today’s world this is often not so. We are taught to demean others who do not fit the social mould. We fight our corner at work – even colleagues become the enemy and we gossip and smear them to elevate ourselves. We are taught to disrespect others in order to build up both ourselves and our team. But real leaders, leaders with integrity, value their team and look to bring out their gifts and talents, letting them loose on the opposition.

And as we know, as well as respecting each other, rugby players respect the referee. Ok, you may get a bad decision. It may even cost you the match. But players don’t hound referees, the crowd doesn’t sing about the referees private habits and coaches don’t come out spitting blood, blaming their defeat on anyone but themselves.

Leaders must respect people over and above whether they think they have been wronged, over and above a win or a loss, and over and above their own pride. It is as they treat people with dignity that we they will be credible, self-controlled leaders with a sense of perspective on what’s really important in life.

 

3)      Clean you own kit

Leaving your dirty kit to mum to wash may be ok when you are a kid and you’re nursing 10 broken bones when you get home. But when you’re in your 20s or 30s it is not cool. You may have been the big man, scored the winning try, made a heroic try-saving tackle. But you can wash your kit. You should never think you’re too good for that.

Real leaders do the dirty work. They may get attention and adulation out there, but real leaders don’t then go home and abuse their wife or refusing to help her with the kids. They don’t go to church and refuse to clean the toilets when no-one else is willing.

No. Real leaders set an example whether they are being watched or not. Whether they are being rewarded or not. Whether the work is glamorous or not. Because real leaders know that they are submitting to their real leader, Jesus Christ, who rewards for the small acts of obedience, both seen and unseen.

 

So, I look forward to a great tournament and may the best team (England obviously) win.