Rugby lessons for business leaders
29-Apr-2010
Andrew Cosslett, CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group was interviewed by The New York Times recently. He says playing the
sport of rugby taught him how to deal with adversity, and to rally a team. Here
is our synopsis:
Deal with each person
differently
Each person on a rugby team responds differently because it’s physically
dangerous as a game. There’s always a chance you’re going to break your neck or
have a very bad injury. It has a tension in the changing room before you
go out to play - almost like going into battle. You have to get to really get
to know your people. Having a sense of self-awareness is also very important,
so you know how you impact each person differently. You need to see the
world on their terms and then deal with them on their terms, not yours.
The real test of
leadership is how you rally a bad team
Good teams are easy. But when you’re the captain of a bad team, you’re getting
beaten by 60 points on a rugby field and everyone’s walking around with broken
noses - it’s really hard. You have to find a way of making the team
believe in itself and have a hunger to do something meaningful - which involves
a lot of sacrifice, pain, training and fitness. Getting beaten up, losing a
lot, and still showing vision and confidence is a huge part of leadership.
Focus them on a better
future
I talk about changing things for the better. I may not know exactly what
that looks like, but it’s going to be fantastic. And on the way we’ll love what
we’re doing, have some laughs and a few beers, and it’s going to be O.K.
Hiring for senior
positions
I look at how many times in their life they’ve been seriously tested
emotionally and physically. Where they’ve had to stand on their own feet
and deal with something that they couldn’t possibly be prepared for. They’re
the people you can rely on when the going gets really tough.
Have lunch with your
team
I have lunches with my general managers of hotels. They get to know me
and trust me, and I reward them for being open with me. The only people who
suffer in I.H.G. are ones who don’t say what they really think.
Keep asking questions
There’s a lot of perceived wisdom in most industries that haven’t hasn’t been
challenged for years. The trick in business is not to care too much about what
people think of you. Ask questions that challenge the orthodoxy that
exists in every business. Keep asking people, “Why do you do that?”
Leave home
If you’re just starting out in life, go as far away as possible from what you
know. You’ve got to test yourself. Go and find out who you are and what
you can deal with. Put yourself in some positions that will be distinctly
uncomfortable.
Have a sense of humor
It’s a lot easier to get through life if you’ve got a smile on your face. It
doesn’t have to be a chore. So just lighten up.
Stephen Lynch
Chief Operating Officer - Global Operations
RESULTS.com
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