Legacy

In this chapter, Kerr examines the importance of language in creating and sustaining a strong team culture. He begins by discussing the creation of the “Black Book” in 1999 by former All Blacks John Kirwan and Sean Fitzpatrick. This book, intended only for team members, compiled key principles and aphorisms that defined the All Blacks’ culture. Kerr explains that this book served as a system of meaning, a shared language, and a set of beliefs that united the team.

The chapter emphasizes the power of stories in shaping human behavior and understanding. Kerr references Daniel Kahneman’s work on how stories influence decision-making, often overriding rational thought. The author argues that stories are fundamental to how humans construct meaning and identity.

Kerr then explores the concept of values in organizational culture. He describes how the All Blacks, in collaboration with an advertising agency, defined their core values: humility, excellence, and respect. The author compares this to other successful organizations like the US Marine Corps and Apple, which also have clearly defined value systems.

The chapter delves into the importance of vocabulary in shaping team culture. Kerr provides examples of how the All Blacks use specific words and phrases to reinforce their identity and goals. He also discusses how coach Wayne Smith introduced Māori language elements to create a unique team vocabulary when he joined the Chiefs rugby team.

Kerr emphasizes the power of mottos and mantras in distilling organizational essence. He gives examples from the All Blacks, Apple, and the US Marines, showing how these short, memorable phrases encapsulate core values and mindsets. The author then explores the role of metaphors in leadership and understanding. He cites philosophical perspectives on metaphor from philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche and Aristotle, arguing that metaphors are essential for creating meaning and driving action.

The chapter concludes with Kerr outlining four key criteria for creating effective change stories: credibility and relevance, visual and visceral appeal, flexibility and scalability, and usefulness in translating vision into action. He stresses that leaders should invent their own language to communicate cultural norms and standards.

Kerr describes a pivotal moment in 2005 when the All Blacks introduced a new haka, “Kapa O Pango,” which marked a shift in the team’s cultural identity. The author explains that the All Blacks were close to abandoning the haka tradition altogether due to a loss of “connection and understanding” (157). The team’s composition had changed, reflecting New Zealand’s evolving demographics, which included players of Māori, European, Tongan, Samoan, and Fijian descent. To address this, the team’s leadership initiated a process of cultural renewal.

Kerr describes how the All Blacks engaged in discussions about individual and collective identity, incorporating various cultural perspectives. They brought in a cultural consultant, Derek Lardelli, to help develop a new haka that would resonate with all team members. This process led to the creation of “Kapa O Pango,” which became a symbol of the team’s renewed cultural unity.

The chapter emphasizes the importance of rituals in reinforcing team culture and identity. Kerr argues that rituals serve to reflect, remind, reinforce, and reignite the central story of an organization. He provides examples of other All Blacks rituals, such as the passing down of jerseys from veteran players to newcomers and visiting significant locations during away games.

Kerr draws parallels between the All Blacks’ use of rituals and similar practices in other high-performing organizations, such as the US Marine Corps. He notes that both groups use symbols, mottos, and rituals to reinforce their identity and values. The author extends this concept to the business world, citing examples like Apple’s product packaging ritual and the Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency’s “Nothing is Impossible” motto embedded in their office steps (162). He also mentions Walmart’s long-standing Saturday morning meetings as an example of a corporate ritual that reinforces company culture.

Kerr emphasizes that rituals can be organizational, societal, or personal. He provides examples ranging from casual Fridays in offices to Neil Armstrong’s ritual of winking at the moon. The author argues that these rituals, regardless of scale, embed deep values and purpose into individuals and organizations. The chapter concludes by reiterating the power of rituals in creating and maintaining organizational culture. Kerr suggests that leaders can use rituals to connect personal meaning to an organization’s overall purpose, thereby strengthening the collective identity and drive of the group.

The chapter opens with a focus on the concept of legacy and the importance of considering one’s place in the span of time. Kerr introduces the Māori concept of whakapapa, which represents genealogy and one’s place in the order of living things. To illustrate whakapapa, Kerr describes a scene with Gilbert Anoka holding a woven flax rope. This rope serves as a metaphor for human life and the connections between past, present, and future. The rope’s strands represent different aspects of New Zealand and All Blacks heritage, including the silver fern, the team’s black jersey, and the “blood” that unites all people. Kerr explains how the rope commemorates rugby matches, with colored strings added to represent victories and losses. The rope is intended to be buried, symbolizing its return to the land. It embodies the whakapapa of the team, connecting ancestry, spirituality, history, and mythology.

The author then delves deeper into the Māori concept of whakapapa, describing it as a layering of ancestors, lives, stories, and myths from the beginning of time to the present and into the future. He cites Owen Eastwood’s interpretation of whakapapa as an unbreakable chain of people linked arm-in-arm, with each generation inheriting and passing on the tribe’s values and standards. Kerr provides examples of how the All Blacks embody this concept of legacy. He mentions an Adidas advertisement featuring successive All Blacks captains, illustrating the lineage of leadership. Kerr also quotes Graham Henry emphasizing that players don’t “own” the All Blacks jersey; they are temporary stewards tasked with continuing and enhancing its legacy.

Kerr then applies the concept of whakapapa to the corporate world, using Boeing, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Apple as examples of companies with strong legacies that drive their future innovations. Kerr argues that leaders in any field can invoke whakapapa by carrying forward ideas and passing them on to the next generation. Kerr introduces the idea of “ancestors of the mind,” drawing on Jim Trower’s essay to illustrate how intellectual and cultural lineages can form a kind of whakapapa even for those not of Māori descent. He provides examples of how innovators like Steve Jobs created their lineages by drawing inspiration from predecessors in their field.

The chapter emphasizes that everyone has their whakapapa and that authentic leadership involves stewarding both the past and the future. Kerr argues that this form of leadership goes beyond corporate boundaries and shareholder value, focusing instead on contribution to a deeper continuum. To illustrate the impact of leaving a positive legacy, Kerr recounts the story of Jonas Salk and his development of the polio vaccine. Salk’s decision to donate the vaccine rather than patent it is an example of prioritizing societal benefit over personal gain.

The author then introduces the concept of “social footprint,” describing it as the impact one’s life has on others. He argues that great teams and leaders operate with a higher purpose that goes beyond mere profit, inspiring others and contributing to society. Kerr suggests that in an increasingly secular world, people are looking for guidance on how to live, and that capitalism has an opportunity to redefine itself by focusing on making a lasting difference rather than just accumulating wealth. He posits that companies that contribute to a healthy social footprint are likely to thrive in the coming decades.

The chapter concludes by emphasizing the importance of character, defining it as the mark left on an individual by life and the mark they leave on life. Kerr argues that leadership is ultimately about the example one sets and the way one leads their own life. He reiterates the central message of being a good ancestor and planting trees one will “never see” (168), encapsulating the Māori concept of caring for the land, the people, and moving forward.

In this brief, one-page chapter, Kerr describes a symbolic artifact given to new All Blacks players: a small, black, leather-bound book. This book serves as a visual representation of the team’s lineage, featuring jerseys from historic teams like the 1905 Originals and the 1924 Invincibles. The author explains that this book embodies the team’s values, principles, and ethos, with blank pages symbolizing the opportunity for each player to contribute their legacy. Kerr concludes by suggesting that these blank pages are meant as an exhortation, saying, “It’s time to leave a legacy. Your legacy. It’s your time” (183).