PDF Summary:Legacy, by James Kerr

The All Blacks are one of the most successful sports teams in history, famous for dominating international rugby championships. But they weren’t always the best. In the early 2000s, they went through years of defeats, a crisis, and, eventually, a rebirth. Legacy explains how the All Blacks hit rock bottom and came back a better team.

James Kerr—a consultant for elite teams like the US Special Forces and Google—spent several weeks with the All Blacks, witnessing their transformational strategies firsthand. He wrote Legacy (2013) to share the key lessons he learned from them, which he believes can help any leader transform their team into a superpower.

Our guide explores the All Blacks’ crisis and recovery. Then, we analyze how the culture, the team, and the players were key to the All Blacks’ transformation, and we’ll show how leaders can strengthen these elements in their own organizations to create high-performing teams. We also complement Kerr’s insights with perspectives from other leadership and sports experts.

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Another way that awe helps maintain cohesion and group identity is by diminishing our sense of self. Kelter cites numerous examples in which people described their egos dissolving as they connected with something greater. Keltner’s research demonstrates that people experiencing awe think in less individualistic terms because awe suppresses self-centered thinking.However, Keltner admits that the socially uplifting effects of awe may be transient, with people returning to baseline levels of self-focus and individualism once the experience fades. To take advantage of the awe-inspiring effects of rituals, it’s helpful to practice them regularly.

Foundational Element #2: The Team

Kerr states that the All Blacks’ culture sustains the second foundational element of success: a team that’s stronger than the sum of its players. In this section, we’ll begin with the story of how a last-resort player saved the All Blacks in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, demonstrating how the team’s strategies enable success even in the most challenging circumstances. We’ll then discuss four strategies that sustain the team: nurturing humility, being ready for change, sharing the lead, and practicing continuous learning.

Story: A Fourth-Choice Player Saves the Day

Kerr recounts that during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the All Blacks made it to the final, but they were weak in one key position: the fly-half. (Shortform note: You can think of the fly-half as a second quarterback. This position is crucial because it determines how to approach each opportunity for attack.) Their star fly-half and his substitute had been injured one after the other. Now, they had one player left to play that position for the final—but no substitutes.

The team had to adapt rapidly. The coach asked Stephen Donald for help, a fly-half who wasn’t supposed to play in the World Cup because of his poor performance the previous year. Donald would serve as their last fly-half’s backup, and because of the team’s culture of continuous preparation, even their fourth-choice player could perform under pressure. In the final, their third fly-half was injured, and Donald stepped up. He played an excellent final and scored the winning points by taking a crucial penalty kick. Kerr says that despite being a last resort choice, Donald didn’t bring ego to the situation. He integrated into the team immediately and served the team’s needs.

(Shortform note: While Donald is a stellar team player, his characteristics also make him a highly effective person. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey writes that effective people take initiative as Donald did during the World Cup—they choose their actions based on their values, instead of letting themselves be guided by ego or external influences. Initiative-takers are still subject to external influences, but they manage their emotional impulses. Importantly, emotional regulation can help you adapt your behavior to situational demands.)

Team Strategy #1: Nurturing Humility

For the All Blacks, nurturing humility means putting the team above themselves as individual players. Kerr explains that one of the All Blacks’ mantras exemplifies how they nurture humility: “No dickheads.” This mantra refers to their zero-tolerance policy for players who undermine the team’s collective goals through selfish behavior, regardless of their talent.

(Shortform note: Although the All Blacks’ mantra warns against them, some sports analysts argue that “dickheads” are necessary in the world of athletic excellence. Athletes focus incessantly on very specific and challenging physical and mental skills. That relentless focus often comes with big egos and some emotional outbursts.)

According to Kerr, humility fosters trust, cooperation, and cohesion—essentials for a high-performance team. He suggests you apply this strategy by creating an organizational culture where collective success outweighs individual ego. For example, prioritize character over talent when choosing team members and foster humility through shared responsibilities and accountability.

(Shortform note: Other authors agree that keeping the ego in check is necessary for success. Ryan Holiday, author of Ego Is the Enemy, argues that an overly inflated ego can cause you to overestimate your abilities, which could lead to failure. If individual members let their egos take over, they might put the success of the team at risk.)

Team Strategy #2: Being Ready for Change

After their 2004 crisis, the All Blacks learned that stagnation leads to failure. Now, they’re always ready for change, proactively adapting and seizing opportunities to improve. According to Kerr, this mindset ensures survival and success because success is cyclical rather than linear, and downturns are inevitable. That means the best time to change your approach is when you’re at the peak of your performance.

Kerr says you can apply this mindset by viewing adaptation as a regular practice, not as a reaction to problems. To do this, you must be willing to make bold changes when things are going well and create an environment that encourages continuous learning and development. For example, a business might have a monthly routine of analyzing what its competitors are doing well and taking lessons from them to improve their own performance.

Be Humble, Keep Learning

If stagnation leads to failure, you might wonder what causes stagnation. In Principles, Ray Dalio argues that you become stagnant when you close yourself off to other people’s perspectives. If you have good ideas but aren’t humble, you miss out on better ideas. If you know little, yet you’re convinced you know everything, you’ll remain stagnant.

This is similar to the Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias where people who are bad at something are incapable of recognizing how bad they are. In an interview, psychologist David Dunning explained that you can become more aware of your cognitive blind spots by thinking about what you don’t know and exposing yourself to people with different perspectives.

Follow Dalio and Dunning’s advice to make adapting a regular practice. By humbly probing the limits of your current knowledge, you can seize opportunities to improve. By exposing yourself to new perspectives, you can adapt proactively when you discover a better way of doing things. By encouraging your team to do the same, you help them ward off stagnation.

Team Strategy #3: Sharing the Lead

To help them stay ready for change, the coaching team shares the leadership role with players. For example, Kerr explains that the coaching team structured the team’s weekly schedule so that responsibility gradually shifted from management to players. Their week starts on Sunday nights with a coach-led review of Saturday’s performance. On Monday, the coaches communicate new game tactics and lead the first practice sessions. Then, practice days become increasingly player-led, ending on Saturday—game day—where the coaches step back and let the players make the decisions on the field. Importantly, the team has the day off to rest on Wednesdays.

A Balanced Team Schedule

The All Black’s schedule exemplifies the productivity system that Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy suggest in 10X Is Easier Than 2X. They write that performing at a 10x level requires big blocks of uninterrupted time, which you can create by grouping similar tasks on specific days. They suggest segmenting your time into three types of days:

1) Rest days: Disconnect completely from work, like the All Blacks do on Wednesday. Engage in activities that help you relax and feel good, such as exercise, hobbies, or spending time with loved ones. If you’re a leader, make sure to give your team enough time to rest.

2) Prep days: Focus on preparing for high-value tasks and staying organized. For the All Blacks, prep days involve practice sessions, training at the gym, and working on their mental skills. You might use these days for team meetings, planning sessions, or administrative tasks that set you up for success on your achievement days. These might also be the days when you check in more regularly with your team to see that they’re on the right track.

3) Achievement days: Do deep, uninterrupted work on your most important tasks. These are the All Blacks’ game days, where they perform at their peak, doing the work that directly contributes to their 10x growth. If you’re a leader, these are the days when you step back and let your team shine, such as on presentations for clients.

Kerr says this structure helps you adapt to new situations more quickly because it’s less rigid than traditional hierarchical leadership. In addition, this approach builds engagement, develops future leaders, and creates a more resilient organization that can adapt to challenges as they arise. To apply this strategy, transfer some of the responsibility and decision-making to team members, empowering them to take ownership. Create an organizational culture of mutual trust and understanding by communicating expectations clearly and providing appropriate training so everyone can meet those expectations. Also, identify natural leaders in your team, give them meaningful responsibilities, and let them build their own teams.

How to Share the Lead Effectively

One way to share leadership is to practice stewardship delegation. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey explains that stewardship delegation nurtures new leaders. Stewardship focuses on clearly communicating the desired results while giving people the freedom to choose their methods and take ownership of their work.

For stewardship delegation to work, Covey says you need to set clear expectations in six areas: the required results, any guidelines or parameters, methods to avoid, available resources, how you’ll measure success, and the consequences of success or failure. Communicating these expectations helps prevent misunderstandings while still giving people autonomy when it comes to how they complete their tasks.

While Kerr argues that sharing the lead helps you be more adaptive and resilient, other leadership experts believe that effective delegation brings additional long-term benefits. Team members feel that their job is meaningful, which leads to greater job dedication. They also feel trusted and empowered, which motivates them to improve their skills.

Team Strategy #4: Practicing Continuous Learning

Kerr explains that the All Blacks internalized a practice of continuous learning—the ongoing process of acquiring and refining skills, knowledge, and character. This focus on ongoing improvement directly contributed to the All Blacks' World Cup victory. Kerr explains that small, consistent improvements compound over time to create a cumulative competitive advantage. As a leader, you can adopt this strategy by intentionally embedding continuous learning in your work.

(Shortform note: To identify opportunities for small improvements, take time to self-reflect. In Decoding Greatness, Ron Friedman says self-reflection is the most important element of effective learning. This means tracking your goals, the techniques you use to reach them, and how well you’re performing. By regularly reflecting on your growth, you can determine which strategies work best for you and concentrate your efforts where they’re most valuable.)

There are several ways you can apply continuous improvement:

• Identify small opportunities for cumulative improvement, rather than aiming for one major performance overhaul. For example, a sales team might first work on refining their pitch, then on following up, and later on optimizing lead tracking.
• Establish clear structures for learning and development. Identify what different types of learning your team needs, such as soft and hard skills. Then, decide how and how often they will engage in that type of learning.
• Develop individual growth plans for team members. Work together to define their improvement goals and daily objectives to keep them on track.
• Curate the team’s environment with positive external influences that can teach and inspire. Expose your team to inspirational people and experiences that motivate them and teach them new skills.

Engage in Quality Practice

Creating a cumulative competitive advantage requires quantity—as in continuous learning—but also quality. In How Champions Think, Bob Rotella describes the following methods for putting in quality practice:

1) Create a training plan. Break down your ultimate dream into realistic goals that you can pursue daily so you can keep track of your growth. If you need help creating your plan, Brendon Burchard (High Performance Habits) provides a simple process: First, write down your goal in a clear and specific manner. Next, break down your goal into five big steps you’ll need to take to accomplish it. Then, for each of the five steps, create a list of tasks you have to complete to accomplish that step. Finally, Burchard recommends you enter those tasks into your calendar and assign deadlines for each of them.

2) Watch the competition. Kerr suggests curating your learning environment with external experts. Rotella also suggests looking outside for learning and inspiration, but he argues that it is also necessary to learn from competitors. Compare yourself to people similar to you in skill level, and be mindful of what they’re doing.

Foundational Element #3: The Player

While the All Blacks team is stronger than the sum of its players, each player is still held to the highest standard. Kerr explains that the final foundational element of the All Blacks’ comeback is a strong player who lives the team’s ethos on and off the field. This section will narrate the story of how the All Blacks redeemed themselves in the 2011 World Cup final, showing how the players developed the mental and physical tools to perform at the highest level. Then, we’ll discuss four characteristics of an All Black: purpose-driven, committed, honest, and ready to win.

(Shortform note: Other leaders agree that the quality of each individual member can make or break the performance of the team. In Principles, Dalio explains the hidden penalties for hiring the wrong person: a loss of morale among competent team members and a sense of diminishing standards. He stresses that you should hire people who have great character and capabilities; one without the other is dangerous. People with great capabilities who do not have great character will not be aligned with the mission, and they’ll work on their own goals. People with great character but without great capabilities won’t contribute to the organization’s goals.)

Story: The All Blacks Keep Their Cool

In the 2007 Rugby World Cup quarter-final in Cardiff, the All Blacks suffered a devastating defeat to France, 20-18. They choked under pressure and made poor decisions in the final minutes. (Shortform note: One possible reason why the All Blacks choked is that only four out of the 10 players who normally led the team in high-stakes games were on the field that day. The other six were either injured or simply hadn’t been called by the coach to play that game.)

Kerr writes that the 2007 loss fueled their drive for redemption and excellence in the following years. The players reminded themselves of their purpose: representing the very best of New Zealand. They committed themselves to their mental and physical conditioning and preparation. They created a team culture of honesty where they could share feedback openly to help each player improve their performance. Finally, they developed techniques to prepare for high-pressure situations that allowed them to be ready to perform and win under the highest stakes.

(Shortform note: While the All Blacks used failure to fuel their comeback, you can also use success to fuel a drive for excellence. In Relentless, Tim Grover explains that success should increase the pressure you put on yourself instead of being an excuse to relax. You should constantly seek improvement, making each success merely a step on your path—not the destination. After each success, set your sights on the next larger success instead of relaxing.)

Four years later, in the 2011 World Cup final, the All Blacks faced France again in Auckland. The stakes were even higher because they were playing a World Cup final at home. Kerr argues that the four-year journey between these two matches demonstrates how implementing these principles led to tangible results in the most pressure-filled situations: Despite leading by just one point, they maintained their composure and won, 8-7.

(Shortform note: According to one of the players, the pressure wasn’t just about facing France again or playing in New Zealand. They felt the pressure to give their supporters a long-awaited second trophy because they hadn’t won a Rugby World Cup since 1987. It’s also possible that the pressure to put the 2007 loss behind them was the fuel they needed. One sports analyst remarks that the performance of rugby teams in tournaments has a cyclical nature. As a result, the All Blacks might not have won the 2011 Cup if they weren’t facing the opponents who took them out of the tournament in the previous event.)

Characteristic #1: Purpose-Driven

At the heart of the All Blacks’ redemption was the players’ newfound purpose to represent New Zealand and contribute to the team’s legacy. Kerr explains that to nurture purpose-driven players, the All Blacks’ cultural transformation involved ongoing conversations to help each player connect their purpose to the team’s success and legacy.

(Shortform note: Kerr frames being purpose-driven as a characteristic that helps you achieve your best, but many believe that purpose itself should be a central focus of your life. In Who Will Cry When You Die?, Robin Sharma writes that you must live every moment of your life purposefully and with meaning because if you don’t, you’ll have regrets on your deathbed.)

According to Kerr, having a clear purpose connects your individual work to a larger mission that transcends personal gain. He explains that purpose provides the emotional fuel that drives sustained high performance. When you understand and connect with a greater purpose, you become more engaged, resilient, and willing to put in extraordinary effort. To help your team tap into their purpose, Kerr suggests you facilitate conversations to help them discover an authentic purpose that connects to organizational goals and personal values.

(Shortform note: Talking about your purpose—and your struggles with it—might itself be a way to live out your purpose. In Principles, Ray Dalio argues that everyone’s purpose is to evolve through struggle, take important lessons from that struggle, and help others evolve as well. From that perspective, leading conversations with your team can help them both identify and apply their purpose.)

Characteristic #2: Committed

With a meaningful purpose as fuel, the All Blacks commit to going beyond what’s expected or required. The All Blacks recognize that extraordinary achievement begins with extra efforts, such as being first to arrive and last to leave the practice or adding an extra repetition to every workout, however small these actions might seem in the moment.

(Shortform note: Psychology suggests that constantly pushing yourself hard, as the All Blacks do, can lead to burnout—a kind of emotional exhaustion characterized by disinterest and cynicism. To avoid burnout while still pushing hard, experts recommend you learn to recognize when you’re pushing yourself out of habit versus when you’re doing it for a worthy goal. Ease off if you’re acting habitually, and keep going if you have a good reason to do so.)

Kerr argues that excellence is the accumulated effect of additional effort over time. To achieve excellence, you should identify what truly matters to you and then consistently do more than is required in pursuit of that goal.

(Shortform note: Kerr’s view of excellence suggests that there’s no shortcut to excellence—and perhaps there’s value in taking the scenic view. In The 10X Rule, Grant Cardone argues that you should assume every endeavor you undertake will require 10 times more time, effort, and resources than you expect. This way, you’ll be ready to deal with unexpected challenges. If a task turns out to be easier than you expected, you’ll still be happy with the result.)

Characteristic #3: Honest

Kerr explains that honesty helps sustain the All Blacks’ purpose and commitment. Honesty fosters self-awareness and helps them operate from a place of genuine leadership because their values, actions, and words are aligned. This creates trust and a foundation for long-term performance and well-being. Kerr says you can practice honesty and build trust through three key practices:

1. Aligning your personal and private selves. Approach all your roles—parent, leader, friend, or any others—with the same set of values. Kerr argues this provides a stable foundation that helps you weather setbacks because you have a consistent core but don’t identify exclusively with any single role. For example, you might be a manager today and have a different title tomorrow, but how you approach your work won’t change.

(Shortform note: Some sports psychologists believe some misalignment between your different selves can be helpful. Grover (Relentless) says you need to access your primal self—the person you are when acting entirely through instinct—to become unstoppable in your pursuit of success. But he concedes that you’ll sometimes need to exercise self-control and avoid acting entirely on instinct. You’ll have to put on a “filter”—a public persona that covers up your primal self—in public settings like meetings and private settings like your home. After all, the professional environment of an important meeting and the safe environment of home and family don’t mix well with the intense drive and instinctive impulses of your primal self.)

2. Giving feedback openly. Deal with mistakes and failures collectively by discussing them in the open, instead of dealing with them through isolation and finger-pointing. For example, the All Blacks remind each other to give feedback “in the belly, not the back,” meaning they do it directly and without judgment.

3. Keeping your promises. Practice rigorous integrity in your daily actions, such as honoring commitments and showing up on time for meetings.

Leading With Extreme Honesty

Other leaders agree that honesty and integrity foster self-awareness and true leadership. In Principles, Dalio argues that extreme honesty is one of the principles for success. He explains that in an organization with extreme honesty, you can be more truthful about issues because you don’t put a filter on your thoughts. Instead, you reveal them, question relentlessly, and surface issues immediately instead of hiding them. At his hedge fund, everyone has the obligation to speak up publicly and to call people out when they do something foolish—even Dalio.

Often, the cost of extreme honesty is the discomfort that follows open criticism. But Dalio says telling people what they need to improve, though uncomfortable, should be seen as a sign of care and respect. If you’re clear that your purpose is to arrive at the truth and not to prove anyone wrong, there won’t be any misunderstandings about your intent.

In addition, Dalio argues that rejecting gossip is another way to show rigorous integrity and align your thoughts, words, and actions. He expects the people on his team to say what they want to people’s faces instead of talking behind their backs. Dalio believes that gossip shows a lack of integrity and is the worst thing possible at his organization.

Finally, he says you should treasure people with integrity. Dalio believes that most people will pretend to operate in your best interest while operating in their own, so those who behave well even when you’re not looking are exceptionally valuable.

Characteristic #4: Ready to Win

The All Blacks’ final characteristic is being ready to win—embracing high expectations and maintaining composure under pressure. To avoid panicking under pressure, the coaching team helped the players develop a blue head mindset—in other words, having situational awareness and being able to perform effectively, adapt to circumstances, and overcome challenges. Conversely, a red head has negative emotional responses that can cause a player to feel overwhelmed and stuck. A blue head mindset transforms pressure into a driving force for preparation instead of leading to panic and poor decision-making. Kerr argues you can develop a blue head by incorporating high expectations and systematic mental training.

A Blue Head in Action

In The Mamba Mentality, Kobe Bryant gives an inside look into how a blue head thinks and performs during a high-pressure situation. Before a game, Bryant adapted his routine based on the mindset he needed for the game: If he felt a game would require him to be high-energy, he listened to music that pumped him up. If he felt a game would require him to be calm and focused, he listened to calm music. Sometimes, he sat in total silence and took in the sights and sounds that surrounded him. This was a habit he had had since childhood, but when he learned that it was a form of meditation, he practiced it even more deliberately.

That state of mind allowed him to have situational awareness and be strategic on the court. Two, three, and even four opposing players often guarded Bryant when he drove to shoot a basket. Instead of panicking, he considered the defenders’ playing styles—whether they were likely to foul him or jump straight up to try to block his shot. Then, he decided whether to pivot and pass to an open shooter or to drive through his opponents to the basket. His mental clarity enabled him to make these split-second decisions.

Kerr highlights four practices that can help you keep a blue head:

1. Setting ambitious goals, even if they seem unrealistic, and using that pressure as a motivating force. If you’re a leader, set uncompromising standards for the team.

(Shortform note: In Relentless, Tim Grover also makes the case for constantly putting intense pressure on yourself. He agrees with the commonly observed phenomenon that people perform better under pressure, and that being under pressure forces you to find ways to rise to whatever challenge you’re facing.)

2. Embracing the fear of failure as motivation to never feel the pain of failing. When setbacks inevitably happen, use them as opportunities for growth rather than sources of discouragement.

(Shortform note: Other authors, such as Seth Godin (Purple Cow), argue that you should shun, not embrace, the fear of failure. Godin believes this fear prevents success because it holds you back from taking risks.)

3. Developing mental discipline to stay focused in stressful situations. Practice mental discipline techniques consistently so they become automatic responses when pressure mounts, allowing you to stay focused on the present moment. For example, you can practice breathing exercises, mantras to stay present and composed, and anchors—physical actions like stamping your feet to bring yourself back to the present moment when you feel anxiety.

(Shortform note: Another way to develop the mental discipline to stay calm and focused is to keep consistent routines and avoid new people or situations if you know you’ll need to focus intensely. Grover (Relentless) explains that this will help you avoid having to deal with anything unexpected that might make you emotional right before a high-stress situation.)

4. Practicing in challenging scenarios. Introduce real pressure elements into your practice, incorporating unexpected scenarios to test your decision-making abilities. For example, if you’re training to become a chef, try preparing a meal without some of the ingredients.

(Shortform note: Sian Beilock (Choke) explains the science behind why unfamiliar situations cause you to freeze up. When you’re faced with a situation you know well, you experience stimulation in the portions of your brain responsible for the actions associated with that situation. However, in an unfamiliar situation, those parts of the brain aren’t as active because your brain doesn’t have associated actions, and therefore, you can’t respond as quickly. It follows that we should practice how to respond in unfamiliar situations to give our brains the chance to become familiar with the unexpected.)