The All Blacks Playbook: Culture, Trust, and Legacy
The All Blacks are the most successful team in sport, with a win rate of around 75% over more than a century. Their success cannot be explained by talent alone. It rests on a culture that makes performance habitual.
Every player is taught that they do not own the jersey, they are custodians, and Dan Carter is not exception. Their role is to add to the legacy and leave the team stronger than they found it. This sense of stewardship fuels long-term commitment and accountability.
Carter shared with me, when I interviewed him for my book Reimagining Luxury, how Richie McCaw, one of the greatest captains in rugby, initially tried to shoulder all responsibility himself. His performance faltered. Only when he learned to trust his team and share responsibility did he return to his best, and inspire the team to peak again.
“One of the best forms of leadership is action,” Carter explained. “Not words, not speeches, but inspiring others by how you show up every day.”
The All Blacks built belonging into their culture. With teammates from all over the world, from Māori, Pacific Island, European, and other backgrounds, they created rituals to honour diversity: tying ropes of string in national colours, drinking kava, singing Tongan songs. This inclusivity made players feel valued and home. The team institutionalised resilience with “What-If” drills. On the eve of games, they imagined unlikely scenarios, two players sent off, a sudden storm, trailing by four points with minutes to play, and agreed responses. Whether or not these events occurred, the practice made them calm and decisive in chaos.
The parallels with luxury are direct. Executives face climate disruption, supply chain shocks, geopolitical instability, and shifting consumer values. The temptation is to fixate on the scoreboard, quarterly earnings, social sentiment, share price. But the lesson from the All Blacks is to focus on process, culture, and legacy and dont’t look at the scoreboard.
Their mantra, leave the jersey in a better place, is a call to action. For businesses, it means leaving the planet, industry, and organisation stronger for future generations.
The All Black’s Playbook
Know your red head. Identify when you are in a fight mood under stress.
Reset to blue or calm mindset. Use simple cues, breath, tap, grounding questions, to refocus.
Focus on process. Outcomes follow disciplined habits.
Lead with action. Culture is modelled, not mandated.
Trust and share. Collective strength beats individual brilliance.
Run “What-Ifs.” Rehearse disruption before it arrives.
Build belonging. Inclusion fuels performance.
A Leadership Manifesto
Train the mind, not just the skill. Pressure exposes habits.
Lead by example. Inspire through behaviour.
Share responsibility. Empower others to act.
Expect the unexpected. Prepare for shocks.
Make inclusion tangible. Belonging drives loyalty.
Leave the jersey in a better place. Legacy is the ultimate measure.
Performance is not an act. It is a habit. For leaders, the challenge is to build organisations that can perform under pressure, innovate with courage, and leave a legacy worth inheriting.
