Darren Shand thrives in high pressure situations but it’s not the All Blacks nail biting one point win over France in the 2011 World Cup Final that gave him the confidence to perform under pressure.
Darren was the manager of the All Blacks for 20 years where he worked alongside the likes of Sir Graham Henry, Sir Steve Hansen and Sir Wayne Smith and world class players such as Richie McCaw and Dan Carter but it was a job as a whitewater rafting guide fresh out of university that put him to the test.
Darren, who was born in Hastings and attended St John College was in Hawke’s Bay recently as guest speaker at Innovate Napier, a business breakfast hosted by Napier City Council and Napier Business Association. He shared his life experiences, observations of managing one of the world’s most high-profile sport teams and how businesses can create a high-performance setting.
During his tenure the All Blacks played 256 test matches, with a win ratio of 83% and where he learned a lot about high performance. After graduating with a degree in physical education at Otago University, Darren moved to Queenstown, where he would spend the next 12 years as a ski instructor and whitewater rafting guide and then working for entrepreneur and bungee jump innovator AJ Hackett. He believes the skills learned coaxing people to hurtle down a grade 5 river rapid or leaping off a bridge gave him many of the skills required to manage the men in Black.
“I was really young living in Queenstown in the late 1980s – early 90s and rafting was the big thing. “We would guide over 50,000 people down the river in rubber boats and you could roll up to work and you’d have a boat load of 12 Japanese and none of them could speak English.
“You’d take them on a Grade 5 river and suddenly you’re upside down and they’re all in the river. It was real life and death scenario. “You had skin in the game as a guide, you really had to be onto it and I learned a lot and what I found was that I was really calm in those situations. It was like my world slowed down and I just kind of realised what needed to happen. “There were some really good lessons about life and the brutality of it and when people talk to me about all the pressure with the All Blacks, I put it into context that it’s just a game and I didn’t really feel the pressure initially because I’ve had those experiences.
Today, Darren shares his concept of ‘Winning Teams’ with business and sporting leaders around the globe. Winning Teams revolves around a holistic approach to peak performance team building and development. It encompasses enlightening keynotes, interactive masterclasses, carefully crafted bespoke programs, strategic advisory services, and personalised coaching conversations.
“Every winning team is unique and requires a conscious design rather than a mechanical assembly. The selection of team members is not solely based on skills but also considers factors like compatibility, shared values, and the potential to foster a supportive and collaborative environment. “Winning Teams are dynamic entities shaped by the people within them, emphasising the importance of human dynamics in team dynamics.
Just like the All Blacks, Darren says it’s important to build an environment where staff can grow and make great decisions under pressure. “We (All Blacks) didn’t have an environment where we did everything for the players. If we did that, they would just become dependent on us.
Darren at Innovate Business Breakfast in Napier “It’s the same for a workplace. Are your staff dependent on you or are they independent? Are you building an environment where people can grow and become better and lead themselves and make great decisions under pressure.
Here’s some key points Darren shared at the event.
Leadership
Everything has changed and nothing has changed. With the All Blacks we had a shared leadership model. We gave the team the opportunity to lead and management supported. You may have seen the coaches doing all the talking publicly but the on field leadership was done by the players.
Above and below the line behavior
When we look below the line nothing changes. We blame and make excuses. We then avoid or deny how it feels – which leads to us feeling frustrated, angry and maybe even depressed. If you want to set a high bar and you want high performers, you need people that are working and living above the line. In the All Blacks we set the standards together because we wanted to be world class. They’re co-created and if any are broken you have to deal with it.
You can’t break primary standards and as a leader you can’t ignore these standards. The standard you set is the standard you’d expect. So as a leader, how do you turn up? If they’re imposed, it doesn’t work because people are just being told that’s how it is. They have no buy in, they have no connection with it. “I had the pleasure of working with Richie McCaw from 1999 until he finished his career and I cannot recall a single training that he didn’t drop his standards and not be the first on the training field. He was like that every single time because that was the standard that he expected. So what’s your standard?
Have a circle in your business.
The circle on the field is a really powerful place and you’ll have a circle in your own organisation which is where you’ll find the answers to problems. “The more you can bring people together and find the answers together, the better you’ll be and I find the answer is the power of many is better than the power of one. If you can utilise the bandwidth of your group, find a way to build an environment where everyone can contribute, and then as a leader, moderate that and bring it together. It’s a bit like a scrum, you know the power of many is always going to beat the power of 1 or 2.
Listen to understand. Don’t listen to talk. How often do you find yourself trying to think of what you’re going to say versus actively listening to the person?
You build a true connection when people feel like they’re being listened too. Be engaged and disconnect to connect. Put away the device and really connect. I recall when Sir Brian Lochore was an All Black selector and he came to my room and said he wanted to talk. As he talked I continued to work on my laptop until he stood up and closed it and said “I’ve come here to talk to you so sit and talk to me.” It was a really important lesson. It’s very easy to hide behind other forms of connecting with people but when someone really wants to connect then you’ve got to be totally present.
Seek out people better than you. People ask me who was the best coach to work with. I always say Graham Henry. Why? Because he employed Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith.
They were possibly better coaches than he was and together they went on to win the World Cup. Don’t be afraid of having people around you that are better than you. If you have the right mindset, you actually elevate yourself.
Have empathy in the workplace. I don’t see a lot of empathy in businesses. I see a lot of power, a lot of position and a lot of people working in a vertical plane rather than trying to connect people. Be the leader you wish you had. Bring people together as a team and move them up that vertical axis, but as group of people, not as individuals. If you’re interested in Darren being involved in your business growth contact him at darren@winningteams.net +64 274 329 927
