Legacy

by James Kerr

Alternative cover edition can be found here

'Legacy' looks at the values, principles, rituals and beliefs that have propelled the All Blacks to such extraordinary heights, and examines how the reader can adapt and apply these to their own lives, businesses and teams.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Business, Sports, Self Help, Psychology, Personal Development

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2013

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Rachel C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Work book club selection. My overall impression: a sloppy mishmash of Maori folk wisdom and sound bites from other (better) books.

For a book about a sports team, Kerr fails to provide any real history for the All Blacks (including how they got that name), or any context about the game of rugby, a sport I know next to nothing about. This might have been fine in a book for rugby fans but this book is targeted at people in the business world.

All that aside, here's the main problem with books like these: you can't generalize about success by looking at an extreme outlier and trying to reverse engineer what they did. To a certain extent, the secret of mega-success is unknowable. And even if you *did* know, that's not to say that you could necessarily replicate it. If it were that easy, every sports team would be amazing and every business would be profitable.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes to self (because I read this for an interview):

If our values and beliefs are aligned with the values and beliefs of the organization, then we will work harder towards its success.

Martin Luther King 'gave the "I have a dream" speech, not the "I have a plan" speech... If you hire people who believe what you believe, they'll work for you with blood, sweat and tears.'

Seek the treasure you value most dearly; if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain.

The first stage of learning is silence, the second stage is listening.

In recognizing our deepest values, we can understand what kind of leader we are and what kind of life we wish to lead. Authenticity-the mark of a true leader-begins with honesty and integrity. Honesty allows us to access to our truest vision of ourselves and, when setbacks occur, gives us strong foundations. Integrity gets the job done. If our values, thoughts, words, and actions are aligned, then our word is our world. With accuracy of action, less slippage occurs between thought and deed. In knowing ourselves, we live with our vision. By being our word, we make it happen.

Find something you would die for and give your life to it.

'Life is no brief candle to me,' wrote George Bernard Shaw, 'It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.'

Character is forged by the way we respond to the challenges of life and business, by the way we lead our life and teams. If we value life, life values us. If we devalue it, we dishonour ourselves and our one chance at living.

[Carmen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much too long of a book for lessons that were encapsulated in 1 quote that was repeated throughout the book : “champions do extra.” They plan for succession, they clean up after themselves, they learn from the mistakes, etc. only giving 2 stars because of the occasional anecdote about the team. Otherwise, not a worthwhile read.

[Thomas Kane-Berman · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sweep the Sheds” is a phrase that is said throughout Legacy, and is the main philosophy of this book. The inspirational book Legacy by James Kerr is a powerful message that comes in the shape of a rectangle. With motivation and life lessons on every page, you are set up for success with this book. You are able to become a person you never thought you could be and help others discover who they can be as well.

James Kerr wrote an International Best Seller as his first piece of work. Legacy has topped the charts for inspiration books, and continues to change lives. Before writing, Kerr was a Keynote presenter that would meet with businesses or groups to help them reach their full potential. His main philosophy was to help people put in good things to get the best output in their specific field. Kerr was invited to spend time to advise the US and UK special forces on how to be the best they can be. His leadership strategies and team building were the main principles taught in his first piece of work.

Legacy is an inspirational book, that is based off a certain sport team that is the most winning sports team in the world, The New Zealand All Blacks. The book starts with the All Blacks not doing well and seeking a change. How they changed and what they did to change are the basis for this book. In each different chapter we learn a lesson that the All Blacks used to be successful. Chapter Two talked about how they must adapt to each situation they are put in, where as in Chapter Eight the All Blacks learn how to properly prepare for each match. Kerr then helps readers understand how they can use this in their everyday life. A section could be how each player on the All Blacks must earn their jersey, or how you have to be just a good person to be a good athlete. Kerr spoke his in Māori culture that each tribal member would have to earn their ranks, and their tribal symbols that they would wear. How do you earn your jersey in your business? The jersey could be seen as respect from your employees, and you have to earn it if you wish to lead them to success. This book has so many valuable life lessons that you never knew could all be in one spot.

Kerr inspires readers through this book by speaking in first person throughout, but also having a lot of others speak in it as well. He spends a lot of time researching the All Blacks and interviewing people that are a part of the organization, he also used stories from the past to help convey his leadership principles. Kerr mentions the story of how John Wooden spent hours just teaching his National Championship Team how to put on their socks and tie their shoes. This was to teach his players to do the little things right in order for the big things to go right. The All Blacks used this to help players understand that it much more than just playing good; it is the desire to want perfection in every aspect of life. With each new chapter comes a new lesson that helped lead the team to success, but will also help readers succeed. Chapter One has all the knowledge about how each player had to have the best character if the team wanted to succeed. One bad ingredient would spoil the entire mixture. When the All Blacks lose, they don’t spiral into more loses. They look at what they did wrong and find ways to improve for the next match. Like Nelson Mandela said, “We don’t lose, we either win or learn.” Kerr then helps readers understand how loses in their life, whether in a business deal or a setback, don’t have to affect you forever. Kerr includes a lot of quotes from many people. This helped me because it was nit like it was just one person talking about their experiences. It had some of the most influential people commenting and being quoted on throughout. “All I was doing was trying to make it a better team to pass on to the next generation- Sean Fitzpatrick.” In the audio book, Kerr actually changes his voice to sound like the people he is quoting. I like how it is presented in the form that it is because it’s like an outsider looking in and explaining what he learned on the way. I truly feel that you have to get this as an audio book. Not saying the hard copy is so different or bad, Kerr uses so many different voices, and includes phrases from New Zealand’s native language: Māori. “Haere taka mua, taka muri; kaua e whai, Be a leader, not a follower.” It is hard to read that language in a book, but being able to hear it and understand what it means helped me enjoy the book a lot more. That honestly is one of the biggest reasons I loved this book. The whole All Black culture was founded on the Māori beliefs, and the fact he includes it in the book makes it come full circle.

Kerr was aiming for an older crowd to read this book. Even more specifically, he was focusing on the business community. He often refers to the lessons and principles of the All Blacks to give advice to businessmen. I remember he talks about how the All Blacks keep a “Blue Head” not a “Red Head.” This refers to the way you carry yourself throughout the day. The blue represents being calm, and red being angry or stressed. He relates that to how you act when you’re working in your job, and how you deal with costumers. This book is written for anyone that needs a little inspiration. I use the blue and red head to relate to my play on the football field. By staying in the blue, I am able to play a lot better. That is just one of the many life-changing lessons I learned while reading this. I believe the purpose of this book was to teach people how to conduct themselves and how to achieve their dreams through their daily actions. Kerr is able to do this because he was experienced first hand when people chase their dreams and reach them one day. He basically is putting out a blueprint from his encounters into a place where the whole world can learn.

I am not just saying this to say it, but I truly believe this is the greatest book I have ever read. My dad told me I had to read this book if I wanted to be successful on and off the football field. I decided to try it out. After the first few minutes, I was blown away with how much I learned. You don’t have to be just an athlete to read this book. Yes, it is based on a sports team, but the sports team is just used to draw ties to every day life. Remember how I said “Sweep the Sheds” in the beginning of this. Well, that phrase means that you are never too big to do the small things. Instead of a senior making a freshman clean the locker room, the senior should clean it to set an example for the young guy. Don’t be afraid to do the little things; will you “Sweep the Sheds?”

[Tim Chavel · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Kerr's book, Legacy: What The All Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business Of Life is the book the 2023 UGA Bulldogs are reading. The book is about the greatest team of all time. It is a rugby team, The All Blacks" who have the greatest winning percentage in their history. Kerr takes the "keys of this team's success" and applies them to life, business, other sports teams, etc. It is a fascinating book. It you enjoy reading about success, leadership, how to win, how to live a good life, how to train a team, then I highly recommend this book. I hope the quotes below will challenge and encourage you.

James Kerr, “Legacy: What The All Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business Of Life” Quotes from the book:

Successful leaders balance pride with humility: your absolute pride in performance; total humility before the magnitude of the task. ~James Kerr

The challenge is to always improve, to always get better, even when you're the best. Especially when you're the best. ~James Kerr

A collection of talented individuals without personal discipline will ultimately and inevitably fail. Character triumphs over talent. ~James Kerr

Only by knowing yourself can you become an effective leader. ~Vince Lombardi

From self-knowledge, Lombardi believed, we develop character and integrity. And from character and integrity comes leadership.

What is my job on the planet? What is it that needs doing, that I know something about, that probably won't happen unless I take responsibility for it? ~Jon Kabat-Zinn

Winning takes talent, John Wooden would say. To repeat it takes character.

You get nowhere without character. Character is essential to individuals, and their cumulative character is the backbone of your winning team. ~Bill Walsh

The challenge of every team is to build a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another. ~Vince Lombardi

Because the question is usually not how well each person performs, but how well they work together. ~Vince Lombardi

collective character is vital to success. Focus on getting the culture right; The results will follow. ~ James Kerr

Performance = capability + behavior. ~ James Kerr

Vision without action is a dream. ~James Kerr

Our values decide our character. Our character decides our value. ~James Kerr

A culture of asking and re- asking fundamental questions cuts away unhelpful beliefs in order to achieve clarity of execution. Humility allows us to ask a simple question: how can we do this better? ~James Kerr

Humility does not mean weakness, but its opposite. Leaders would mana understand the strength of humility. It allows them to connect with their deepest values and the wider world. ~James Kerr

Sweep the sheds. Never be too big to do the small things that need to be done. ~James Kerr

A winning organization is an environment of personal and professional development, in which each individual takes responsibility shares ownership. ~James Kerr

Leaders create leaders. ~James Kerr

Organizational decline is inevitable unless leaders prepare for change - even when standing at the pinnacle of success. ~James Kerr

It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change. ~Charles Darwin

Go for the Gap. When you're on top of your game, change your game. ~James Kerr
Play with purpose. Ask why? ~James Kerr

The person with a narrow vision sees a narrow horizon, the person with a wide vision sees a wide horizon. ~James Kerr

Leaders connect personal meaning to a higher purpose to create belief in a sense of direction. ~James Kerr

Humans, by their nature, seek purpose- a cause greater and more enduring than themselves. The most convincing arguments for his theories are the simplest to understand: we leave well paying jobs for purpose driven ones, we volunteer, We have children. ~Daniel Pink

The idea that emotional reward is more important than material compensation. That intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation rules the world. ~Hawthorne Effect

Victor Frankel, who, in his book, Man's Search for Meaning, cites research from John Hopkins University: Asked what they considered very important to them now, 16% checked making a lot of money; 78% said their first goal was finding a meaning and purpose to my life.
“What man actually needs”, argues Frankel, “is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task.”

People don't buy what you do they buy why you do it. ~Simon Sinek

Inspired leaders, organizations and teams find their deepest purpose- their why? -and attract followers through shared values, vision, and beliefs. ~James Kerr

Leaders create leaders by passing on responsibility, creating ownership, accountability and trust. ~James Kerr

Shared responsibility means shared ownership. A sense of inclusion means individuals are more willing to give themselves to a common cause. ~James Kerr

Leaders don't create followers they create more leaders. ~Tom Peters

Instill in your team members a sense of great self-worth - that each, at any given time, can be the most important on the battlefield. ~General David Petraeus

The mission command model requires the leader to provide 1.) A clear defined goal, 2.) the resources 3.) the time-frame. ~James Kerr

By arming staff with intention, leaders can enable their people to respond appropriately to changing context, without losing sight of the tactical imperative. ~James Kerr
Leaders create leaders. They armed their subordinates with intent. And then step out of the way. ~James Kerr

Look for a leader who can bring people together. ~James Kerr

Leaders or teachers. ~James Kerr

In Drive, Daniel Pink lists the three factors that he believes creates motivation in a human being: mastery, autonomy, and purpose. ~James Kerr

“The best sports people in the world practice more than they play,” Sean Fitzpatrick, states in, New Zealand Management Magazine. “Businesspeople should practice too. They should go home at night and analyze their day's performance. They don't and they need to. To be good at something takes practice, and lots of it.”

“Excellent firms don't believe in excellence,” wrote Tom Peters in Thriving on Chaos, only in constant improvement and constant change. He argues that success is result of a long-term commitment to improving excellence - the small steps leading to a mighty leap.

Excellence is a process of evolution, of cumulative learning, of incremental improvement. ~James Kerr

Enlightened leadership promotes a structured system for the development of the team, combined with a tailored map for the development of the individual. ~James Kerr

A map of daily self-improvement acts as a powerful tool to develop teams and organizations; this living document provides fresh goals and develops new skills so people push themselves harder, become more capable and achieve more for the team. ~James Kerr

Leaders or learners. ~James Kerr

You find out that life is just a game of inches. So is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small . . . On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us to pieces for that inch . . . Cause we know when we add all those inches that's going to make the difference between winning and losing. ~Al Pacino character in Any Given Sunday

Marginal gains: 100 things done 1% better to deliver cumulative competitive advantage. ~James Kerr

Computer programmers have a phrase: garbage in/ garbage out. If we apply the analogy, this means:
• the verbal, visual, and gestural language that will allow to take up residence in our heads;
• the toxins like alcohol, drugs, or sugar that will allow to take up residence in our bodies parentheses and mines);
• the people will allow to take up space in our lives. ~James Kerr

Sometimes it only takes one encounter - one teacher - to change their life, and many lives after that. ~James Kerr

Successful leaders look beyond their own field to discover new approaches, learned best practices, and push the margins. Then they pass on what they have learned. ~James Kerr

The first stage of learning is silence, the second stage is listening. ~James Kerr

Fly information. Follow the spearhead. This is the being of team and the essence of successful organization. ~James Kerr

For the Strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack. ~Rudyard Kipling

The being of team begins from inside. High standards must come from within. Leadership works best when your team takes the lead. ~James Kerr

No one is bigger than the team and individual brilliance does not automatically lead to outstanding results. One selfish mindset will affect a collective culture. ~James Kerr

It's better to have 1000 enemies outside the tent than one inside the tent. ~An old Arab Proverb

A little water seeping through a small hole may swamp a canoe. ~Maori saying

Success can be traced back to the connections between members of the team and their collective character, something true of all winning organizations. Great leaders ruthlessly protect their people, encouraging connection, collaboration, and collective ownership, nurturing a safe environment of trust, respect, and family ~James Kerr

Let us be united, not pulling against one another. ~James Kerr

EMBRACE EXPECTATIONS: Aim for the highest cloud. ~James Kerr

Successful leaders have high internal benchmarks. They set their expectations high and try to exceed them. ~James Kerr

We learned best - and change - from hearing stories that strike a chord with us . . . those in leadership positions who fail to grasp or use the power of stories risk failure for their companies or for themselves. ~John Kotter

Aim for the highest cloud, so that if you miss it, you will hit a lofty mountain. ~James Kerr

The way the sapling is shaped determines how the tree grows. ~James Kerr

TRAIN TO WIN: Practice under pressure. ~James Kerr

Intensity of preparation Who- training to win - conditions the brain and body to perform under pressure. It lets peak performance become automatic. It develops the mindset to win. ~James Kerr

In business, training is often seen as a soft option and is limited to the occasional away-day. However, effective training is intense, regular, and repetitious. For world-class results, it should be central to the culture. ~James Kerr People

Training with intensity accelerates personal growth. ~James Kerr

“Most people have the will to win,” says basketball coach Bobby Knight, “few have the will to prepare to win.”

A Person who is taught at home will stand with confidence in the community. ~James Kerr

KEEP A BLUE HEAD: Control your attention.
(RED HEAD means tight, inhibited, results-oriented, anxious, aggressive, over- compensating, desperate.) (BLUE HEAD means loose, expressive, in the moment, calm, clear, accurate, on task.) ~James Kerr

Bad decisions are not made through a lack of skill or innate judgment: they are made because of an inability to handle pressure at the pivotal moment. ~James Kerr

Mantras are the way in which we can tell our story to ourselves; they are tools for effective thinking, a mental road map in times of pressure. ~James Kerr

From listening comes knowledge; from knowledge comes understanding; from understanding comes wisdom; from wisdom comes well-being. ~James Kerr

The best leaders remain true to their deepest values. They lead their own life and others follow. ~James Kerr

The key to strong peer-to-peer interaction is a high level of trust. This is trust in the sense of safe vulnerability. The leaders need to create an environment where individuals get to know each other as people and gather insight into their personal story and working style. This needs to be supported by the leader’s role-modelling behavior around admission of mistakes and weaknesses and fears . . . this is essential by safe conflict and safe confrontation, where the most important interactions often occur. ~Owen Eastwood

High-performing teams promote a culture of honesty, authenticity, and safe conflict. ~James Kerr

Integrity means that our thoughts and words and deeds are as one, a chiropractic alignment in which our core values, purposes, beliefs, and behaviors all flow in the same direction. It's useful to think of integrity not as morality, as many people do, but workability. It's not about being pure or noble - it's about getting stuff done. Though the end result is trust, belief, and respect, these are merely the by-products of the fact that when we say something will happen it actually does happen. This means that others can count on us to deliver. And, most importantly, that we can count on ourselves. ~James Kerr

Integrity in our model is honoring your word. As such, integrity is a purely positive phenomenon. It has nothing to do with good versus bad, right versus wrong behavior. Like the law of gravity, the law of integrity just is, and if you violate the law of integrity . . . you get hurt just as if you try to violate the law of gravity with no safety device. The personal and organizational benefits of honoring one's word are huge - both for individuals and for organizations - and generally unappreciated. ~“Integrity: Where Leadership Begins”

To the degree that integrity is diminished, the opportunity for is diminished. ~Jansen

If integrity is a central leadership tool and everyone in a team does exactly what they say they will do, clarity, certainty, productivity, and momentum are the results. ~James Kerr

Authenticity is the alignment of head, mouth, heart, and feet - thinking, saying, and doing the same thing consistently. This builds trust, and followers love leaders they can trust. ~ Lance Secretan

Honesty = integrity = authenticity = resilience = performance. ~James Kerr

CHAMPIONS DO EXTRA: find something you would die for and give your life to it. ~James Kerr

Companies that maintain their core values are those that stand alone, stand apart, and stand for something. ~James Kerr

First we shape our values; Then our values shape us. ~James Kerr

Based on strong resonant values, using a common language that employs mantras, mottos, and metaphors, storytelling helps leaders connect their people’s personal meaning to their vision of the future. ~James Kerr

What is the food of a leader? It is knowledge. It is communication. ~James Kerr

RITUALIZE TO ACTUALIZE: Create a culture. ~James Kerr

Inspiring leaders establish rituals to connect their team to its core narrative, using them to reflect, remind, reinforce, and reignite their collective identity and purpose. ~James Kerr

Rituals tell your story, involve your people, create a legacy. Rituals make the intangible real. ~James Kerr

You are but a speck in the moment of time situated between two eternities, the past and the future. ~James Kerr

BE A GOOD ANCESTOR; plant trees you'll never see. ~James Kerr

True leaders are stewards of the future. They take responsibility for adding to the legacy. ~James Kerr

Asus society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they will never see. ~ An old Greek Proverb

What is my job on the planet? What is this that needs doing, that I know something about, that probably won't happen unless I take responsibility for it? ~Albert Schweitzer

The word "character" comes from the ancient Greek, kharakter, meaning the mark that is left on a coin during its manufacture. Character is also the mark left on you by life, and the mark we leave on life. It's the impact you make when you're here, the trace you leave once you're gone. Character rises out of our values, our purpose, the standards we set for ourselves, our sacrifice, and commitment, and to the decisions we make under pressure, but is primarily defined by the contribution we make, the responsibility we take, the leadership we show. ~James Kerr

They're more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. ~John Wooden

Character is forged by the way we respond to the challenges of life and business, by the way we lead our life in teams. If we value life, life values us. If we devalue it, we dishonor ourselves and our one chance at living. ~James Kerr

This is our time. Leadership is surely the example we said the way we lead our own life is what makes us a leader. It is what gives us mana. ~James Kerr

Our time is limited. Understanding the fragility of life is the first step in understanding our role and responsibility as a leader. Our greatest responsibility is to honor those who came before us and those who will come after, to leave the jersey in a better place. We are the stewards of our organizations, the caretakers of our own lineage. Our action today will echo beyond our time. They are our legacy. Care for the land, Care for the people, Go forward. ~James Kerr

Grow and branch forth for the days of your world. ~James Kerr

[IreneCalde · Rating 2 out of 5]

Validi i concetti ma terribilmente fastidiosa l’impostazione. Un continuo interrompere la lettura con “lui ha detto, lui ha scritto, nell’intervista dice”.

[Leonard Bacica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a 'book' in the same way the sounds a baby makes are a 'speech'. It looks promising, and it promises a lot, but in actual fact, it's a compilation of sound bites from better books peppered with trivia about the New Zealand national rugby team.

And when I say sound bites, this should be taken literally at times, because if you don't speak Maori, you'll have to scroll through a lot of 'kia urupu tatou' or 'kohia te kai rangatira' which, even though they're translated, they might sound good, but they're close to meaningless without appropriate contextualization.

Same for the English language quotes, some of which sound good, some of which stand well on their own, but all of which are - in their original context - enriched by a sum of stories, facts or research that makes them reasonable conclusions of what has been said before. Not the case here, where postulations from other people are made on each page.

Which is why this book is highly quotable, but bot very valuable. A marketing gimmick, perhaps, but not the kind of ethical marketing the good books are written about.

The other side of it, the success of the All Blacks, is just as sloppy put together. Facts lashed out on half a page, without context and without the perspective of anything that was happening around them, giving the reader no sort of clue about how they fit in the bigger picture, and presented as the only explanation (or maybe a prime example?) of the subsequent 'lesson'. However, a few biographies of important All Blacks players are heavily referenced, and one cannot help but think those are actually the ones to read.

With a bibliography ranging from Thucydides to Daniel Kahneman (complex personality, you see) and introduced by a Samuel Johnson quote (because why not?), this book is only good if you're in dire need of pointers towards books on psychology, leadership or sports to read. Sorry, James, but it's a sloppy effort and should be called out as such.

[Robert Postill · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading some great books on leadership I was really looking forward to this. Unfortunately this book does not fall in the same category of both inspiring and practical.

The first thing to note is that book summarises other books and approaches. A lot. Viewed with a cynical eye the book is a reading list of the titles of the books you might want to read instead. This also has the effect of making the book feel flimsy. Second, the character sketches feel somehow incomplete, unable to transfer the essence of the individuals and what drove them. Third the book does not detail how the changes were implemented. Nor does it relate or reflect any particular pitfalls of the implementation of those changes. So there's no sense of the order, time or effort required to implement the plan. Fourth the book assumes a level of rugby union knowledge I simply don't have. Which undercuts both the people and the feat of the team.

Given that, two things lift it up as a work. The first is that the book is pithy. There's no dithering about given points. The book also has a quintessential kiwi air about it. It doesn't mess about. Given the critique about the way it summarises other works you have to give it credit for not re-inventing the wheel. Secondly the book is clearly lifted by the way it respectfully deals with the maori culture that underpins a lot of the team culture.

Overall, if you have rugby-union loving friend they might find this diverting. But otherwise treat it as a collection of sayings on leadership. You're unlikely to find it the core of your leadership library.

[m d · Rating 3 out of 5]

And now I need to watch All Blacks play rugby to see whether their leadership lessons work... 😉

[Caety Berry]

if i had to suffer through this for months of form time i am 1000% counting it as one of my books of the year

[Jelmer Smits · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book made the impression on me of that of a student's master thesis. The author has picked an incredibly interesting and complex subject, but studies it in a manner way too broad. He never really comes into specifics and hence fails to deliver true quality on the subject. A real structure is missing, random references are plentiful, indeed the tempo is off. It's like a thesis that has plenty potential, but should've received a lot more guidance from professors and co-readers in order to narrow it down and thus create more structure in the plentiful information the author has put in his book.

Furthermore, the author is trying too hard to be inspirational in literally every chapter. As a result, he fails to really be so. The pace is constantly at high pitch, feeling as if every chapter is serving the conclusion of the story. This links to the missing structure. Oftentimes, this book feels as a random compilation of quotes, Maori sayings and random references to businesses or people. When using so many supposedly inspirational quotes, they tend to lose their power to provide meaning and inspiration. 

Coming back to the complex subject, top sport is not a perfect analogy for business. Lessons from sport are often not necessarily directly applicable to business. The author seems to underestimate this difficulty.

Lastly, it is pretty ironic that the author puts a lot of emphasis on personal integrity and team spirit, and then repeatedly uses Steve Jobs as an example (personal integrity wasn't one of his strengths..). 

To conclude: interesting subject, but not a recommended read.

[Zoë Routh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely poetic book filled with quotes, stories and principles that uplift and inspire. I enjoyed it.

[Michelle T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m always skeptical of these feel-good, motivational team books but this one was gifted by a mentor who I deeply respect. I devoured it. The book was simple, easy to read but packed with nuggets of wisdom around excellence, leadership and teams. All in the context of All Blacks rugby yet so relevant to all realms of life.

I came in and out of the book with fresh perspectives of what excellence means and the practicality of it. The change lies in first hand experience with this great mentor herself. It’s easier to list out frameworks, but much harder to put it in practice. But it’s possible.

Some notes below (stopped annotating 1/3 in)

+++


- Best teams: humility, excellence, respect
- Leadership: vision, purpose, contribution, compassion, integrity and authenticity
- “The haka reminds us of the inherent fragility of all life. How little time is given to each of us. And how much we still have to do. It reminds us: this is our time”
- Personal discipline: nobody else will look after you. Don’t expect it. Be disciplined with yourself to be disciplined on the field. Must know yourself => character and integrity => effective leadership. Take care of all the little things
- “Winning takes talent… to repeat it takes character”.
- Performance = capability + behavior
- Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is a nightmare
- Key is to attach personal meaning to a higher purpose. It is the identity of the team that matters - who they are, what they stand for and why they exist
- Leaving the jersey in a better place: “how can we do this better?”
- 100 day plan
- Self actualization is striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task. To serve or love.
- Reason leads to conclusion. Emotions lead to action
- “Structure follows strategy” - where thought becomes reality and vision becomes action
- Du jour: “the aggregation of marginal gains” or “the drive to perfect every controllable detail in search of optimal performance”
- “Success can be attributed to how a team worked together under pressure, how they understood the importance of team work and loyalty, and how they were willing to do a hundred things just 1% better”
- Closed or bound system: with a defined parameter in which every input is known

[Michael Bagnoli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the summer book club book for the Bowdoin Men’s Rugby Leadership Team. We read a few chapters at a time and met to discuss how what we learned could be applied to our program. This process was more productive and insightful than the book itself, but the book was good because it was easy to follow and connected everything back to rugby (obviously).

What I found most interesting were the anecdotes about advertising agencies, and quotes from their executives, explaining how to create compelling brands. These were sprinkled throughout the book, making it a nice extension and application of what I learned from the Coursera course I took at the start of the summer on brand management!

Seeing as I won’t be playing this Fall because I will still be recovering from my ACL surgery, brand management for the Bowdoin Rugby team will be my sole responsibility. As Recruiting Captain, I hope to articulate what it means to play rugby at Bowdoin not only to attract interested players, but to attract the right people. Right now, I’m thinking my main communication channels will be social media, posters around campus, and cold-approaching every Freshman guy I see. I think this will be fun for me, and maybe just maybe I’ll add BRFC Brand Management Officer to my resume.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any coach, this book identifies 15 lessons on leadership learned from the All Blacks New Zealand rugby team. Really good stuff!!

“Sweep the Sheds - Never be too big to do the small things that need to be done.”

[Sarah Hartwig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great thoughts, defs should read if you have time for these thoughts..

[Vlad Pîrvu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Am două teorii: fie autorul nu poate scoate mai mult de o compunere de clasa a V-a și la viața lui a văzut tot atât rugby cât am văzut eu patinaj, fie a fost suficient de abil încât să transforme un subiect foarte ofertant într-un text banal și autosuficient, fără urmă de miez, dar perfect pentru turmele de pasionați de literatură motivațională. Cartea asta e o colecție de citate, truisme și clișee fără pic de profunzime și fără nicio legătură cu rugbyul, cu Noua Zeelandă, cu cultura maori sau cu lumea sportului în general.

[Lucy Higgott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book as a fan of the all blacks, had some great insights into leadership and ways to become a better leader. Would recommend.Took me a few days as I usually struggle to read non fiction as quick as fiction. But was a nice palette cleanser before I dive into the next part of the school for good and evil series.

[Jurgen Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mashup of a lot of big ideas. A good rollup but not much originality.

The big ideas I liked:
Importance of mission command concept and harnessing initiative and innovation of the team.
Few organizations really interrogate the connection between strategy and structure, between an overall vision and the actions that take place over a working week...its all about learning and improving.
Saying YES to high performance means first saying NO...people think focus means saying yes to the thing you have got to focus on...but it really means saying no to the hundred other good ideas distracting you. Choose carefully.
Most orgs don’t focus on a program of training for mental toughness...they tend to go for the one off hits, which is unrealistic...a training seminar, an inspiring speech...but nothing continuous or progressive...few focus on a continuous program of improvement.
RED head is tight, tense, aggressive, over compensating, desperate...BLUE head is loose, expressive, improvisational, in the moment, flow, calm, accurate, on task. Get in the blue and stay there.
Importance of mantras and the rule of threes...three words that work together in a stepwise process to bring about change. It is the way humans tell stories...beginning, middle, end.
Importance of ritual...’tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, INVOLVE me and I will understand.”
Importance of purpose to proper motivation...’A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they will never see.’

[Glyn Blaize · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Book - and the author is just as fantastic in person. What is excellent is that James manages to extrapolate from the success of the All Blacks the key strands of their DNA in a way which can be applied to business, relationships and life in general, to the point that when phrases like ‘sweeping the shed’ are used you just get it.
This is a great read for managers, coaches and observers alike. I have now read it twice.

[Kent Winward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey, business (I own a couple) and rugby (I still play) combined into a book means I have to give this five stars, even if it only probably merits four, but for my particular brand of me, it worked. I enjoyed looking at my business through the eyes of playing rugby and team dynamics.

[Michele Isoardi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Non ho trovato concetti nuovi e originali. Carino, si legge velocemente ma non è un libro epico sull'argomento.

[Library at Oxley]

A rugby match is a short, intense lifetime lived across two 40 minute halves, from the hopeful birth of the game to the crushing or triumphant end. Each game involves the sort of challenges many of us encounter over much greater lengths of time, often many years; self-doubt, arrogance, unrealistic expectations, opposition, injury, high stakes outcomes, trust, ego, intimidation and responsibility for others. A rugby team is a group of warriors facing a battle that is more than just physical, it is also a challenge of character.
Knowing this, James Kerr, a specialist in leadership and high performance spent 5 weeks with the most successful rugby union team in history, the All Blacks, in order to discover their strategies for success.
There are fifteen chapters each with a focus on one key lesson in leadership. Kerr describes these lessons as ‘The First XV’ and illustrates each one with historic examples and anecdotes. The beauty of James Kerr’s writing is that it paints a vivid picture of pivotal moments and their importance to the success of the whole team. Readers share these strategic insights as if they were peering over the shoulders of the team in real time.

He rangi ta Matashaiti,
he rangi ta Matawhanui
The person with a narrow vision sees a narrow horizon
the person with a wide vision sees a wide horizon.
PLAY WITH PURPOSE Ask ‘Why?’

We have a copy of Legacy in the library for every member of the Oxley College rugby first XV to read as they prepare for the next rugby season however the book has value beyond sport. There are insights here for all of us who seek to meet the challenges of life as a warrior.

[Baxter Hodge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll preface this review by disclosing that i’m a bit of a book snob who has never enjoyed the “self help” genre.

BLUF: Perfectly fine book if you love rugby, want a light read, and/or are wanting to brain storm about leadership and organizational change. This book will definitely provide you some insight and introduction to some helpful vocabulary.

Weakness: The book doesn’t have a coherent narrative, analysis, or argument and I don’t think it even attempted to. It’s essentially a compilation of unrelated anecdotes about a consistently successful rugby team. I know next to nothing about the team so I really didn’t connect with any of the random anecdotes and side stories about the team’s culture.

Strength: The book does a good job of referencing psychology/sociology using layman terms to explain the “why” behind leadership techniques. I also greatly appreciated that it’s written from a 3rd party perspective as opposed to some of the more unbearable books in the genre (Extreme Ownership, The Men the mission and me, Team of Teams, etc) that all eventually devolve into unapologetic chest thumping from washed up military leaders clinging on to the past glory days.

[Parker · Rating 1 out of 5]

This summary of leadership literature was disappointing to see associated with the All Blacks. What was billed as the secret leadership story of the All Blacks and what I hoped was also a deep-dive into Māori traditions and beliefs was instead a hodgepodge of Google summaries for top 100 leadership books blended with references to rugby set within 15 pillars of what I hope the All Blacks actually follow. Is it effective writing to summarize and connect the significant teachings of Daniel Pink, Abraham Maslow and Victor Frankl within a page and a half? Nope. This book can be quickly understood by reading pages 184 & 185 for the summary of the 15 lessons (that represent the 15 players in Super rugby). I would suggest readers take the time to actually read the primary source books and papers by deep thinkers like Frankl instead of reviewing the single paragraph summary approach in Legacy.

[Nick S · Rating 1 out of 5]

BLUF: The book contains more lessons from Steve Jobs than the All Blacks and doesn’t paint a very inspiring narrative. Overall, wouldn’t recommend spending time here.

Title is a little misleading. I thought it would contain a stronger narrative regarding the All Blacks and their culture of excellence. Instead it was wave top anecdotes that didn’t really connect with me as a reader. The book was more heavily composed of citations from other books scrapbooked together and delivered as lessons, but lacked depth to drive the lessons home.

It’s a quick read and has some nuggets of wisdom, but it’s a collection of Facebook reels strung together looking for a quick “wow” moment rather than a well put together narrative.

[James Wain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this on audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed the first 3-4 chapters, but then felt it faded slightly towards the end. Some excellent tips and anecdotes for life, work and the general self however; well worth a quick read.

Quite a lot of the statements are quotes / sound bites from other books, and although making it very well researched with some nice quotes, it does lack a degree of original thinking. Instead seems to have looked at the All Blacks success, then subsequently researched leadership, military and success theories, and backed these into the All Blacks.

“Sweeping the Sheds” will stay with me however; never be too big to do the small things or the basics.

[Levi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a lot of high points when it told stories about the All Blacks and how they developed their philosophy and culture and intertwined it with NZ/Maori culture. If I was just rating those parts I’d give it a 4-5.

Far too often the book would make abrupt comparisons that almost every business and sports book makes. Though they’re interesting in their own right, if I wanted to hear about John Wooden, Steve Jobs, and Vince Lombardi I would’ve picked up a book about them.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not a nonfiction girly. Books on work ethic and team building always feel like a collection of clichés. I picked this up for a nonfiction challenge, but unfortunately, it didn’t resonate.

But one takeaway stuck with me—the MLK Jr. reference: he gave the “I Have a Dream” speech, not the “I Have a Plan” speech. Success comes from finding people who believe what you believe, and that idea feels universally true. Still, beyond that, this one wasn’t worth the read.

[José · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's your legacy? Are you ready to prepare the next leader of your team? Do you want to learn how to the all blacks prepare their leaders? This is an inspiring story on how emblematic teams are build. What are their core values. And how those values are promoted and passed through time. In my opinion a must read for any leader.