Everyone leads

“If you watch me coach, you would suggest I'm not coaching, probably, because you wouldn't see me speak on the training field.”

Legendary coach Robbie Deans is so committed to developing leadership in his players that he doesn’t speak when the players step out on the grass at training.

For Robbie, developing leadership in others starts with the belief that everyone leads. He wants his players to know “what their contribution is, how they're impacting on the people around them, and how they can enhance that impact.”

And then, he hands ownership over to his players. Come game time, performance is up to them.

It works. From 2000–2008, Robbie coached the Crusaders to five Super Rugby titles. His current team, the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, had a win streak that spanned more than four years and 48 games.