This is the 4th episode of a 9-part series on the 1924 New Zealand ‘All Blacks’ rugby team forever known as “The Invincibles”.

This series is both the telling of an epic story and an extraction of timeless lessons around shared identity, team culture and leadership.

In each episode I am joined by a guest who helps navigate the events that unfold & and shed light on insights that have a contemporary significance.

In this 4th episode I’m joined by my friend – Kieran Read. Kieran is a former New Zealand All Blacks rugby player who earned 127 Test caps, was an integral member of their 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup victories, and captained the All Blacks 52 times. Since retiring from professional rugby, Kieran has established a highly respected leadership development practice.

This episode is called “The Intervention” and traces the first few weeks of the tour - that heavily shaped what was to come.

This episode includes the story of:

• weak early tour form
• external pessimism
• weak internal standards
• the captain & player leadership group formulating a new 'culture code'
• a player only intervention meeting
• the re-setting of standards

In this episode Kieran and I traverse these events and explore in conversation:

• the power of player ownership
• the echoing down the decades / whakapapa of the Invincibles influence
• the power of aligning key leaders & giving them a common language
• managing external media and fan noise (along the spectrum of complete doom to wild optimism)

The visual version of this episode, including images of players and events mentioned, is available on YouTube here: XXX

Click here to purchase a copy of Owen's book, Belonging.