Success is a great teacher. And no other sports team in history is as successful than the All Blacks.
All Blacks Kieran Read, left, and Richie McCaw lift the Webb Ellis cup Photo: PHOTOSPORT
But in those dark days in 2003, after the bitter All Black loss to the Australians in the World Cup semi-finals, everyone knew something had to change.
Legacy: What the All Blacks can teach us about the business of life Photo: Supplied
When Sir Graham Henry came in, he started with the culture of the All Blacks, building on the Brian Lahore mantra, "better people make better All Blacks".
After back to back World Cup wins, you might say the rest is history, but it's not.
Now at least one major American football team is using the All Blacks playbook to turn around their team culture based on a book by best-selling author and business consultant James Kerr.
In 2010, one year before Henry led the All Blacks to a World Cup victory Kerr spent five weeks studying the culture of the team.
After his tenure following the team he laid out their winning formula in his 2013 book Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life - 15 Lessons In Leadership, and descrbes how it can apply to businesses.
James Kerr's First XV - lessons from the All Blacks
I Sweep the sheds — Never be too big to do the small things that need to be done
II Go for the gap — When you're on top of your game, change your game
III Play with purpose Ask 'Why?'
IV Pass the ball — Leaders create leaders
V Create a learning Environment — Leaders are teachers
VI No dickheads — Follow the spearhead
VII Embrace expectations — Aim for the highest cloud
VIII Train to win — Practise under pressure
IX Keep a blue head — Control your attention
X Know thyself — Keep it real
XI Sacrifice — Find something you would die for and give your life to it
XII Invent a language — Sing your world into existence
XIII Ritualize to actualize — Create a culture
XIV Be a good ancestor — Plant trees you'll never see
XV Write your legacy — This is your time!
