COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP: A Case Study of the All Blacks

Abstract

This case study evaluates the development of a formal collective leadership approach by the All Blacks (New Zealand's national men's rugby team) management. The All Blacks have an astonishing 75% winning record in test matches over a hundred year period. This winning ethos is a part of their organizational culture, which has been developed, nurtured and sustained since the inception of the first national team in 1903.The purpose of the study is to develop a greater understanding of the organization and leadership culture that has maintained the All Blacks' winning record in a changing socio-cultural environment. In this qualitative research study, primary data is obtained through the analysis of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with past and present All Black captains and coaches (over a period of 60 years from 1950-2010). Narratives stories are based on true events providing a rich description, which enhances the credibility and transferability of the findings. A key finding is the strong senior collective leadership that has been ever present. Originally led by senior players informally from ‗the back seat of the bus' this internal leadership has been formalized by the most recent coaching team and has proved to be very effective with regard to maintaining a winning culture in an ever-changing organizational and socio-cultural environment. The learning culture and learning leadership demonstrated within the All Blacks collective leadership model instil a commitment to total honesty in oneself, team evaluation and reflection. It is anticipated that these findings will be transferable to other business and team sport contexts and assist in organizational development.

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“…In recent years, there has been extensive research concerning organizational culture and sport (e.g., Champ, Nesti, Ronkainen, Tod, & Littlewood, 2020;Donoso-Morales, Bloom, & Caron, 2017;Maitland, Hills, & Rhind, 2015). This work has largely affirmed the interdependent relationship between leadership and culture from a wide range of perspectives, including facilitating highperforming teams (Cole & Martin, 2018;Johnson, Martin, Palmer, Watson, & Ramsey, 2012), enhancing motivational climate (Hodge, Henry, & Smith, 2014), and enriching talent development environments (Henriksen, Stambulova, & Roessler, 2010. Results from a systematic review of organizational culture in sport (Maitland et al, 2015) indicated that among the multitude of definitions and approaches to exploring this topic, the work of Schein (1985Schein ( , 2017 was the most commonly adopted perspective.…”

“…Hodge et al (2014, p. 60) identified eight factors influencing the motivational climate of the New Zealand All Blacks including "Better People Make Better All Blacks," responsibility and an expectation of excellence. In their qualitative examination of the All Blacks, Johnson et al (2012) highlighted the importance of strong senior leadership and the commitment to total honesty.…”

“…Consistent with the belief that "one size does not fit all" and that organizational culture is not something that can "copy and pasted" from one setting to another (Schein, 2017), other research has identified different characteristics of successful organizational cultures. For example, Cole and Martin (2018) advocated that a much flatter organizational structure was appropriate for the professional rugby club they studied than Johnson et al (2012) had depicted within the All Blacks. Schroeder (2010) found that in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, coaches gained success by recruiting those athletes they knew would embrace the values of the organization.…”

“…Jane's testimony illustrates how coaches demonstrated individualized consideration, and also intellectual stimulation, through athlete ownership and provision of a degree of autonomy-an approach supported by Vallée and Bloom's (2005) and Henriksen et al's (2010Henriksen et al's ( , 2011 assertions that such factors provide the foundation for both holistic development and "successful" athletic programs. Additionally, Hulme et al (2019) and Johnson et al (2012) suggested that authenticity and total honesty were also vital components of leading successful programs, and it was evident that these prosocial characteristics were also perceived by some of the Severn Stars athletes. For example, Bella (senior player) said, I think one of things that was really good about [a senior coach] was that she treated every player exactly the same.…”

“…Collectively, Bella's and Kylie's testimonies highlight the importance of strong leadership from those with high playing-derived capital and thoughtful strategic recruitment decisions (Johnson et al, 2012;Schroeder, 2010).…”