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The Art of Winning: Ten Lessons in Leadership, Purpose and Potential
**Instant Sunday Times bestseller**
Ten timeless truths on leadership, purpose and potential - from the unique culture of the All Blacks, and the mind of a living legend.
You might think success at the highest level insulates you from self-doubt.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
In this book, I take you inside a journey that has forced me to look inwardly in a way I've never had to before. It's been challenging, frustrating, rewarding and left me full of gratitude.
Whether you're a leader on a steep learning curve, a person navigating change in their life or just someone of any age trying to get that little bit better every day, I hope that my experience can spur you on to greater heights.
For the first time, sporting legend Dan Carter distils his two decades at the frontiers of high-performance into his 'perfect ten' lessons.
You won't find conventional wisdom here, but hard-learned truths,
- Why great leaders are made, not born, and why they must constantly evolve
- How to forge a winning team culture
- Why embracing your past can be every bit as important as looking towards your future
- Why empowering others leads to the best decisions
- Why confidence and self-belief are nothing without humility and a beginner's mindset
Honest, surprising and inspiring, The Art of Winning converts a legendary career into timeless lessons for readers in any walk of life. Step inside the unique culture of the All Blacks - and inside the mind of a legend.
Ten timeless truths on leadership, purpose and potential - from the unique culture of the All Blacks, and the mind of a living legend.
You might think success at the highest level insulates you from self-doubt.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
In this book, I take you inside a journey that has forced me to look inwardly in a way I've never had to before. It's been challenging, frustrating, rewarding and left me full of gratitude.
Whether you're a leader on a steep learning curve, a person navigating change in their life or just someone of any age trying to get that little bit better every day, I hope that my experience can spur you on to greater heights.
For the first time, sporting legend Dan Carter distils his two decades at the frontiers of high-performance into his 'perfect ten' lessons.
You won't find conventional wisdom here, but hard-learned truths,
- Why great leaders are made, not born, and why they must constantly evolve
- How to forge a winning team culture
- Why embracing your past can be every bit as important as looking towards your future
- Why empowering others leads to the best decisions
- Why confidence and self-belief are nothing without humility and a beginner's mindset
Honest, surprising and inspiring, The Art of Winning converts a legendary career into timeless lessons for readers in any walk of life. Step inside the unique culture of the All Blacks - and inside the mind of a legend.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 20, 2023
99 people are currently reading
562 people want to read
About the author
Dan Carter
74 books3 followersDaniel William Carter is a New Zealand rugby union player.
Carter plays for Kobelco Steelers in Japan and played for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks. He is the highest point scorer in test match rugby, and is considered by many experts as the greatest ever first five-eighth (fly-half) in the history of the game. He was named the International Rugby Board Player of the Year in 2005, 2012 and 2015 (equaling the record three awards of Richie McCaw) and has won three Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders, and nine Tri-Nations and Rugby Championships with the All Blacks.
Carter injured himself during the 2011 Rugby World Cup but was a key member of the 2015 Rugby World Cup-winning teams, becoming one of 20 players to have won multiple Rugby World Cups. In the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final against Australia, he kicked four penalties, two conversions and a drop goal, and was named the man of the match.
Carter plays for Kobelco Steelers in Japan and played for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks. He is the highest point scorer in test match rugby, and is considered by many experts as the greatest ever first five-eighth (fly-half) in the history of the game. He was named the International Rugby Board Player of the Year in 2005, 2012 and 2015 (equaling the record three awards of Richie McCaw) and has won three Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders, and nine Tri-Nations and Rugby Championships with the All Blacks.
Carter injured himself during the 2011 Rugby World Cup but was a key member of the 2015 Rugby World Cup-winning teams, becoming one of 20 players to have won multiple Rugby World Cups. In the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final against Australia, he kicked four penalties, two conversions and a drop goal, and was named the man of the match.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 10, 2024
Yea good read
July 2, 2023
Reposted from CB Book Reviews on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuNK1LAN0...
For those who aren’t already aware, Dan Carter is a former New Zealand All Black Fly-Half; further than that, he is possibly one of the best Rugby players in history, winning two Rugby World Cups, 3 World Rugby Player of the Year Awards, having one of the highest ever points totals in International Rugby and winning countless titles at club level.
In this book, similar to one of my previous reads - Quiet Leadership by Carlo Ancelotti, Dan uses his experience of being within the world famous New Zealand All Blacks culture, and his experience of searching for his new identity and purpose post-retirement, to provide 10 (in alignment with his playing position/number) key lessons which he feels are the cornerstones of achieving success throughout any walk of life.
Similar to Carlo Ancelotti, Dan uses stories and anecdotes from his career and life, both within the team environment and his personal experiences, to explain and support his arguments whilst providing a succinct overview at the end of each chapter.
During the process of reading this book, I have found myself fully engaged and inspired. Alongside @highperformance (Dan Carter the Live 200th episode that I recently went to go and see being recorded is out tomorrow!) I now feel better equipped to navigate change and challenges that lay ahead, as well as motivated to learn and develop every day.
Inspiring and motivational, celebrating the successes and detailing the hardest of challenges throughout his career and life to date.
For those who aren’t already aware, Dan Carter is a former New Zealand All Black Fly-Half; further than that, he is possibly one of the best Rugby players in history, winning two Rugby World Cups, 3 World Rugby Player of the Year Awards, having one of the highest ever points totals in International Rugby and winning countless titles at club level.
In this book, similar to one of my previous reads - Quiet Leadership by Carlo Ancelotti, Dan uses his experience of being within the world famous New Zealand All Blacks culture, and his experience of searching for his new identity and purpose post-retirement, to provide 10 (in alignment with his playing position/number) key lessons which he feels are the cornerstones of achieving success throughout any walk of life.
Similar to Carlo Ancelotti, Dan uses stories and anecdotes from his career and life, both within the team environment and his personal experiences, to explain and support his arguments whilst providing a succinct overview at the end of each chapter.
During the process of reading this book, I have found myself fully engaged and inspired. Alongside @highperformance (Dan Carter the Live 200th episode that I recently went to go and see being recorded is out tomorrow!) I now feel better equipped to navigate change and challenges that lay ahead, as well as motivated to learn and develop every day.
Inspiring and motivational, celebrating the successes and detailing the hardest of challenges throughout his career and life to date.
December 23, 2025
This is one of those books that lands in your hands at exactly the right moment.
The Art of Winning isn’t just about rugby, trophies, or elite sport (though those insights are fascinating). It’s about how to live well under pressure, how to lead with integrity, and how to keep evolving without losing yourself along the way. Carter breaks success down into principles that feel both simple and quietly profound: purpose, legacy, humility, resilience, communication, identity, sacrifice. None of it is flashy. All of it is deeply grounded.
What really struck me was how transferable his thinking is. Reading this while stepping into a new leadership role at work, I felt genuinely steadied by it. The emphasis on purpose - staying centred in your lane when pressure builds - gave me clarity. The sections on humility and evolution were especially reassuring: you don’t have to have everything figured out on day one, and growth is meant to be ongoing. That mindset alone is incredibly freeing.
Dan also writes honestly about pressure being a privilege, not something to fear. That reframing has stayed with me. Instead of seeing responsibility as something heavy, this book helped me view it as a sign of trust and potential - something to rise into rather than shy away from.
There’s no ego here, just reflection, self-awareness, and a quiet confidence earned over time. It’s thoughtful, practical, and deeply encouraging without ever tipping into cliché.
Whether you’re in sport, leadership, education, or simply navigating your next chapter, this is a book that gently pushes you forward and reminds you who you want to be while doing it. A wonderful, grounding read and one I’ll definitely return to.
The Art of Winning isn’t just about rugby, trophies, or elite sport (though those insights are fascinating). It’s about how to live well under pressure, how to lead with integrity, and how to keep evolving without losing yourself along the way. Carter breaks success down into principles that feel both simple and quietly profound: purpose, legacy, humility, resilience, communication, identity, sacrifice. None of it is flashy. All of it is deeply grounded.
What really struck me was how transferable his thinking is. Reading this while stepping into a new leadership role at work, I felt genuinely steadied by it. The emphasis on purpose - staying centred in your lane when pressure builds - gave me clarity. The sections on humility and evolution were especially reassuring: you don’t have to have everything figured out on day one, and growth is meant to be ongoing. That mindset alone is incredibly freeing.
Dan also writes honestly about pressure being a privilege, not something to fear. That reframing has stayed with me. Instead of seeing responsibility as something heavy, this book helped me view it as a sign of trust and potential - something to rise into rather than shy away from.
There’s no ego here, just reflection, self-awareness, and a quiet confidence earned over time. It’s thoughtful, practical, and deeply encouraging without ever tipping into cliché.
Whether you’re in sport, leadership, education, or simply navigating your next chapter, this is a book that gently pushes you forward and reminds you who you want to be while doing it. A wonderful, grounding read and one I’ll definitely return to.
May 2, 2025
Took me months to finish the last few chapters of this. It made me watch Richie McCaw’s movie again because their back to back wins are just TOO GOOD
June 24, 2025
Very good
February 12, 2024
Fascinating insight into a sporting great and how Dan Carter became one of the best in his field. He speaks about the methods, the planning, the experiences and the reason why he became an All Black Great 👏🏼
August 31, 2024
🖇️ "I've found to my cost that success in any discipline is never guaranteed - it can never be taken for granted, and failure is the very real risk we take on when we attempt anything beyond our comfort zone. But I've also learned that these setbacks can build resilience and inspire future success provided we can manage them in the right way".
➰ Dan Carter è considerato uno dei più grandi giocatori di rugby di tutti i tempi. Nato in Nuova Zelanda nel 1982, ha giocato per gli All Blacks, la celebre squadra nazionale neozelandese, per gran parte della sua carriera. Con loro ha raggiunto successi incredibili, vincendo due Coppe del Mondo (2011 e 2015), oltre a divenire il miglior marcatore nella storia del rugby internazionale.
✍️ Nel suo libro, l'ex sportivo condivide dieci lezioni per raggiungere il successo in ogni ambito e le intreccia ad episodi di vita personale e professionistica. Le dieci lezioni corrispondono ad altrettanti capitoli, che terminano con un breve riassunto dei tre punti chiave del capitolo.
🔦 L'ex atleta spiega come ognuno di noi debba individuare la propria vocazione così che questa possa darci la direzione lungo il cammino. Il "purpose" deve però andare di pari passo con la "legacy", cioè l'idea chr ci inseriamo in una catena di cui siamo eredità e che poi lasceremo in eredità. Ma bisogna anche essere umili, sempre pronti a ricominciare, essere in grado di gestire e organizzare il proprio tempo giorno per giorno, settimana per settimana, imparare a vedere la pressione come una nostra alleata, essere resilienti, imparare a comunicare in maniera diretta ed efficace ed avere una mentalità improntata al continuo miglioramento. Infine, Carter chiude con due capitoli sulla nostra identità, che non dobbiamo perdere strada facendo, e il sacrificio che comporta competere a livelli alti.
✨ Libro a tratti un po' autocelebrativo e ripetitivo ma che lascia una carica e voglia di fare incredibili. Alla fine, Carter lascia dieci domande cui rispondere che ho trovato molto utili.
➰ Dan Carter è considerato uno dei più grandi giocatori di rugby di tutti i tempi. Nato in Nuova Zelanda nel 1982, ha giocato per gli All Blacks, la celebre squadra nazionale neozelandese, per gran parte della sua carriera. Con loro ha raggiunto successi incredibili, vincendo due Coppe del Mondo (2011 e 2015), oltre a divenire il miglior marcatore nella storia del rugby internazionale.
✍️ Nel suo libro, l'ex sportivo condivide dieci lezioni per raggiungere il successo in ogni ambito e le intreccia ad episodi di vita personale e professionistica. Le dieci lezioni corrispondono ad altrettanti capitoli, che terminano con un breve riassunto dei tre punti chiave del capitolo.
🔦 L'ex atleta spiega come ognuno di noi debba individuare la propria vocazione così che questa possa darci la direzione lungo il cammino. Il "purpose" deve però andare di pari passo con la "legacy", cioè l'idea chr ci inseriamo in una catena di cui siamo eredità e che poi lasceremo in eredità. Ma bisogna anche essere umili, sempre pronti a ricominciare, essere in grado di gestire e organizzare il proprio tempo giorno per giorno, settimana per settimana, imparare a vedere la pressione come una nostra alleata, essere resilienti, imparare a comunicare in maniera diretta ed efficace ed avere una mentalità improntata al continuo miglioramento. Infine, Carter chiude con due capitoli sulla nostra identità, che non dobbiamo perdere strada facendo, e il sacrificio che comporta competere a livelli alti.
✨ Libro a tratti un po' autocelebrativo e ripetitivo ma che lascia una carica e voglia di fare incredibili. Alla fine, Carter lascia dieci domande cui rispondere che ho trovato molto utili.
January 16, 2024
The All Blacks and Dan Carter have both been enormously successful with rugby so as a New Zealander when I saw this book, even though I dont watch a huge amount of rugby, I was interested to read.
It is a very digestible leadership book with a number of good points, albeit many of which I had previously heard but was good to hear again, articulated from a different perspective than a pure leadership book.
Some of my key takeaways:
- Set a clear personal and collective purpose that is long term, then goals for each year, quarter, week, day as appropriate.
- Focus on the short term and then be consistent and disciplined in getting there. Dont focus on too far ahead.
- No individual is bigger than the team.
‐ Recruit for culture. Everyone needs to be aligned for an organisation to have full potential.
‐ Rapidly onboard. Culture needs to be at the heart of any onboarding.
- Sweep the sheds. No task is beneath you.
- Call each other out for discipline.
- When stressed or overwhelmed map the next 24 hours. Focus on the now.
- Consistently is the key to high performance.
- Red head / Blue head - understand when you and your team are in the red (angry) and how you/they can rapidly get to blue (calm). Fight, Flight or Freeze are typical responses.
- Have "what if" sessions to plan for the unexpected.
- Debate, commit, walk forward together.
- Be humble enough to embrace a beginners mindset.
- We all need people around us to keep us grounded.
- Make gratitude a habit. Write down 3 things you are grateful for each day. It is ok to repeat yourself. This can help you keep a positive mindset.
- Celebrate your success, including with people that are part of the collective purpose (inc. support people). This helps rekindle your motivation and ongoing commitment from all.
4.5/5
It is a very digestible leadership book with a number of good points, albeit many of which I had previously heard but was good to hear again, articulated from a different perspective than a pure leadership book.
Some of my key takeaways:
- Set a clear personal and collective purpose that is long term, then goals for each year, quarter, week, day as appropriate.
- Focus on the short term and then be consistent and disciplined in getting there. Dont focus on too far ahead.
- No individual is bigger than the team.
‐ Recruit for culture. Everyone needs to be aligned for an organisation to have full potential.
‐ Rapidly onboard. Culture needs to be at the heart of any onboarding.
- Sweep the sheds. No task is beneath you.
- Call each other out for discipline.
- When stressed or overwhelmed map the next 24 hours. Focus on the now.
- Consistently is the key to high performance.
- Red head / Blue head - understand when you and your team are in the red (angry) and how you/they can rapidly get to blue (calm). Fight, Flight or Freeze are typical responses.
- Have "what if" sessions to plan for the unexpected.
- Debate, commit, walk forward together.
- Be humble enough to embrace a beginners mindset.
- We all need people around us to keep us grounded.
- Make gratitude a habit. Write down 3 things you are grateful for each day. It is ok to repeat yourself. This can help you keep a positive mindset.
- Celebrate your success, including with people that are part of the collective purpose (inc. support people). This helps rekindle your motivation and ongoing commitment from all.
4.5/5
February 4, 2025
Dan Carter’s The Art of Winning offers an insightful look into the mindset and habits that drive success, drawing from his legendary rugby career. While I couldn’t personally relate to the rugby aspects of the book and was clearly not the target demographic, I still found valuable takeaways that can be applied beyond sports.
One of the key lessons that stood out to me was the idea of following success up with more success—not becoming complacent after achieving something, but instead using it as momentum to push forward. Carter emphasizes that true winners don’t just succeed once; they strive for excellence consistently. I also appreciated his perspective on having a clear purpose in life and actively working toward it every day, rather than just passively hoping for things to happen for you.
While the book is heavily sports-focused, its principles on high performance, discipline, and continuous improvement apply to anyone looking to achieve long-term success in their field. If you’re an athlete or someone interested in a high-performance mindset, this book will likely resonate with you even more. For me, despite the rugby-heavy context, it was still a worthwhile read with practical lessons on ambition and sustained excellence.
One of the key lessons that stood out to me was the idea of following success up with more success—not becoming complacent after achieving something, but instead using it as momentum to push forward. Carter emphasizes that true winners don’t just succeed once; they strive for excellence consistently. I also appreciated his perspective on having a clear purpose in life and actively working toward it every day, rather than just passively hoping for things to happen for you.
While the book is heavily sports-focused, its principles on high performance, discipline, and continuous improvement apply to anyone looking to achieve long-term success in their field. If you’re an athlete or someone interested in a high-performance mindset, this book will likely resonate with you even more. For me, despite the rugby-heavy context, it was still a worthwhile read with practical lessons on ambition and sustained excellence.
November 19, 2023
This book told me a lot of lessons, showing the layout of how he planned for the week ahead of him or him with his family with his life after his career of the sport of rugby.
There are different ways that this book tells you about how he got the most out of his potential and purpose to the game of rugby or just being a better person.
If you enjoy books that tell you about what it's like to be a professional sports player and see the day to day behind the scenes of the person's point of view.
There are different ways that this book tells you about how he got the most out of his potential and purpose to the game of rugby or just being a better person.
If you enjoy books that tell you about what it's like to be a professional sports player and see the day to day behind the scenes of the person's point of view.
January 16, 2025
Definitely a good insight into the mentality of striving for greatness, understanding Carter makes it clearer why he’s the GOAT.
It uses anecdotes and stories to elaborate on ideas Carter postulates but thats about the extent of the Rugby part, personally I would’ve preferred more on that end.
At the end of the day it is called the art of winning and not the art of rugby.
Overall its pretty good, self help + good storytelling.
It uses anecdotes and stories to elaborate on ideas Carter postulates but thats about the extent of the Rugby part, personally I would’ve preferred more on that end.
At the end of the day it is called the art of winning and not the art of rugby.
Overall its pretty good, self help + good storytelling.
April 27, 2025
Carter reflects on his time with the All Blacks and reveals what it really took to make them the most dominant team in the history of any sport, not just rugby. His deep and innate understanding of leadership, teamwork, and culture is what gives this book its true value.
His perspective on legacy, particularly the standout concept of 'whakapapa"-understanding your place in a long lineage and leaving your 'jersey' in a better place than
you found it-adds an inspiring layer to the book.
His perspective on legacy, particularly the standout concept of 'whakapapa"-understanding your place in a long lineage and leaving your 'jersey' in a better place than
you found it-adds an inspiring layer to the book.
September 23, 2023
The rugby side of the book is great. However there is a lot of regurgitation of management theories about culture etc which has being written about before. Instilling culture in say 60-70 highly talented All Black's is completely different to instlling culture in a team of multinational people across a large corporation.
November 7, 2023
A wonderful book that jumps back and forth from the experiences of Dan Carter in the rugby field and the business world.
Every chapter of the book has interesting insights about topic such as communication, feedback, mental states, culture change.
A team at the end of the day is much like a company, different people with one common goal, win.
Every chapter of the book has interesting insights about topic such as communication, feedback, mental states, culture change.
A team at the end of the day is much like a company, different people with one common goal, win.
October 28, 2025
Occasionally lapses into buzzwords and business jargon but, on the whole, a really interesting read with loads of lessons that can be applied to sport, work or daily life.
Carter is obviously a legend so to get any insight into his mentality is always going to be good.
I read this slowly, allowing time between sections to digest and consider and i'd recommend doing the same.
Carter is obviously a legend so to get any insight into his mentality is always going to be good.
I read this slowly, allowing time between sections to digest and consider and i'd recommend doing the same.
June 20, 2024
Awesome book. Especially if you're going through a career change and are unsure of your next move. The book emphasises repurposing and using your full potential. It was very inspirational and educational. 100% would recommend.
November 6, 2023
Best leadership book I’ve read in a long time
November 16, 2023
Fantastic !
November 28, 2023
Not a revolutionary read, but brought some good ideas and good questions together for me, think it’s a really good book for athletes or people looking for a next step in life
January 19, 2024
A bit generic on the motivation, but mixed in with some nice orbits on the All Blacks, characters and Dan’s illustrious career.
February 16, 2024
Really interesting insight into the mindset of one of the greatest athletes of modern times.
Lots of valuable lessons.
Lots of valuable lessons.
March 23, 2024
Learn the art of subtraction!
Great lessons, easy to implement if you want to make a change, from an All Blacks legend…..he was always my favourite! ;-)
Great lessons, easy to implement if you want to make a change, from an All Blacks legend…..he was always my favourite! ;-)
March 27, 2024
Vert good Read with life and business lessons from one of Rugby's greats.
May 22, 2024
Thanks DC. Love this lad
August 4, 2024
Really useful book for anyone
October 4, 2024
Not my usual go-to but did enjoy it. Few takeaways to think about.
December 11, 2024
Some clichés yes however some jokes from the rugby world here and than.
Overall worth the read.
January 14, 2025
Very cool insights with the all blacks stories. However does feel like all self help books rolled into one. Useful but a bit boring.
February 18, 2025
Pffft it’s fine. Sports are boring. Didn’t finish.
April 28, 2025
This book was an interesting look into Dan Carter’s career.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews