Belonging: The Ancient Code of Togetherness

by Owen Eastwood

THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

'Gareth Southgate's secret weapon' - Guardian

'A copy of Eastwood's new book, Belonging , was given to every England player when they reported for duty at the European Championships' - Telegraph

'How Maori belief is driving the England team to seize the moment' - SundayTelegraph

'Belonging is a must-read for anyone interested in building a long term high-performing team.' - Stuart Lancaster

'One of the wisest books about winning you'll ever read...Powerful lessons beautifully expressed.' - James Kerr

In BELONGING Owen Eastwood reveals, for the first time, the ethos that has made him one of the most in-demand Performance Coaches in the world. Drawing on his own Maori ancestry, Owen weaves together insights from homo sapiens' evolutionary story and our collective wisdom. He shines a light on where these powerful ideas are applied around the world in high-performing settings encompassing sport, business, the arts and military.  Whakapapa is a Maori idea which embodies our universal human need to belong. It represents a powerful spiritual belief - that each of us is part of an unbroken and unbreakable chain of people who share a sacred identity. Owen places this concept at the core of his methods to maximize a team's performance. Aspects of Owen's unique approach finding your identity story; defining a shared purpose; visioning future success; sharing ownership with others; understanding the 'silent dance' that plays out in groups; setting the conditions to unleash talent; and converting our diversity into a competitive advantage.  Whakapapa . You belong here.

Genres: Nonfiction, Teaching

320 pages, Paperback

Published October 11, 2022

Reviews

[Angelinamehta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explains through stories how teams can be broken and how powerful it can be to build a sense of belonging and connection to our past and future. I was hooked when I saw the author speak at a leadership meeting. Exceptional.

[Tim Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you know what whakapapa is?

Whakapapa is the Māori idea that people and community need to belong. It represents a spiritual belief that each of us is part of an unbroken chain of people and ancestors that share our culture and identity.

This has been used as an anchor for sports and business to maximise a team’s performance. Having been used by the South African, Scottish and English rugby teams.

Owen Eastwood, explains using his own story as well as other teams he has worked with on how whakapapa is the missing link to make a bridge from being just a team to a high-performance team.

[Sarah Bloomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like this book really unpicked the things that I was struggling with in a prior work place but didn’t know what was driving the culture. Compelling and educational. I use the story of us as a tool and now never underestimate the importance of belonging for my team or the children and communities that I serve.

[Mitch Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great complement to Peter Block’s book on community. Where Block’s book is more mental and process, Eastwood’s book is more heart and soul. Recommend them both.

[Charlotte Iannone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for soccer book club and I’m conflicted. I agree that trust (self-trust and trust in your teammates) is essential, and I like his ideas about grounding teams in their histories. What I can’t get past is the emphasis on optimistic team culture. Maybe it’s because all of my youth teams were well-disciplined and coaches never pulled any punches, but when I imagine a team environment ruled by optimism, I see the beginnings of complacency. I guess this is the goalkeeper’s outlook — you always imagine and prepare for the worst. You have to believe in your abilities, of course, but success is fickle. To me, the optimism he prescribes can only exist if there is extensive work behind it. My pathway has always been [recognizing I can’t do something] -> [working on it consistently] -> [trusting in my training]. I guess my outlook on optimism has always been that it blinds you from that initial state of recognition.

I am probably mischaracterizing optimism. Besides that little gripe, I think there are some valuable lessons about team culture and dynamics that I’ll try to take into this season. The big one: collectivism. It is very easy as a goalkeeper to put yourself on an island. I’ve got to dismantle that tendency this year.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Each of us are part of an unbreakable chain of people going back and forward in time. Back to our first ancestor at the beginning of time and into the future to the end of time. Each of us in this chain of people have our arms interlocked with those on either side of us.”

Got recommended this book by a mentor about looking at our shared genealogy (‘whakapapa’) in teams as a way to create a unifying story.

“I do not want to blame the old net; it was good in its day, and many fish were caught in it. But the old net is worn with time and we must go finishing with the new new our brother has brought us.”

A little repetitive at times and could have used more examples from outside the sports world. It also lacked frameworks for more practical advice, but there are good nuggets in here.

“Renewal is fundamental to whakapapa. The sun is always moving. Nothing is new, yet everything is new.”

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great read for anyone who leads, wants to lead, or who works within a team of people. It explores concepts of belonging such as whakapapa, shared history, the power of storytelling, and the idea that this generation is one part of a long chain of people stretching into the past and the future. In this way, Eastwood provides a blueprint for developing cohesive teams who work with a shared purpose while providing a meaningful nurturing place for the individual to contribute.

Since Eastwood's career is in the sporting world, it makes sense that this book is very sports-centric. For those not so focused on sports, the anecdotes may not resonate in the same way. However, I think the concepts discussed in this book are applicable to a range of different contexts so this shouldn't be thought of as a "book about sports". Rather it is a book about using what our ancestors understood about existing within a collective, and applying that wisdom to a modern context.

[Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it for so many reasons, the key one being the collectivist tone of the book. Owen Eastwood fully identifies with the collectivist culture of his nation and hence offers a unique perspective on what leadership means for him. It made me realise how biased towards individualistic thinking our notion of leadership has become. Plus, the many stories disseminated throughout the books are both sincere and deep, anchoring his thinking into a reality that brought me to tears more times than I expected.

[Janine O'Keefe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gave a good, a great message but the way it was delivered was not for me. I am not a football fan so the constant name dropping and big amazing stories bored me but when he applied it to sports that I enjoy I felt the message more. They talk about meetings that could have been emails, this book could have been a report. The message was loud and clear and I was into it. Family, teams working like a family, revealing yourself to others strengthening the team. There, you have read it! I enjoyed the writing style and I will probably listen to his podcast as a result of this book.

[Rob James · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is an enlightening, practical guide to building strong teams. The author is clearly a successful professional and carries a great message of promoting unity and celebrating diversity as a way to get the best out of people. His use of Maori culture, the importance of ancestral history and the sports references are the most engaging aspects of the book.
There is an unavoidable use of corporate language as the target audience I imagine is the business world. It is thankfully not to repetitive.

[AndreaR · Rating 3 out of 5]

No man is an island,
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
As well as if a promontory were:
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were.

Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.

- John Donne

[Clint Dilks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book well worth reading or listening to. If you sometimes struggle with them versus us then this book may also help you find ways to see much more "us".

A number of things stuck with me in this book and I will re-read it. One example is Tapu and Noa, before reading this book I framed these two things in isolation or opposition but it can be about balance.

[Manisha Aggarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve really enjoyed reading this book especially from a trainee sport psychologist perspective! The book provides a lot of examples and stories that make you think and wonder how you can contribute to cultures and a sense of belonging. I highly recommend this to those working in teams (sports, education, business etc) and if you’re a manager, coach, teacher, captain and so on!

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook. Good parts 4 stars, bleh parts 2 or less. Would be interesting paired with Tribe by Sebastian Junger and Surgeon General’s book on loneliness. Loved the inclusions and examples from everyone from Robin Dunbar to Adm Stavridis and different disciplines.

[Claire Bills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the book - great mixture of perspectives from a range of different sports and other industries. Lots of good take aways especially creating an ‘us’ story

[Karen Hubbard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t love the book. It felt like it only scratched the surface of the concepts discussed and could have gone a lot deeper.

Quite basic

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit broken up but over all worth the read

[Adelyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded down. A must-read book for anyone thinking to line-manage! Review to follow.

[John Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid book about how important teams are to an individuals success.

[Catalina Gardescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should constitute a Bible like document for any team that wants to do things right. It offers the solution through which any team can achieve sustainable and meaningful results. Also, it makes sense.