This is the 5th episode of a 9-part series on the 1924 New Zealand ‘All Blacks’ rugby team forever known as “The Invincibles”.

This series is both the telling of an epic story and an extraction of timeless lessons around shared identity, team culture and leadership.

In each episode I am joined by a guest who helps navigate the events that unfold, and sheds light on insights that have a contemporary significance.

In this 5th episode I’m joined by my friend Pippa Grange. Pippa is a world class performance psychologist and culture coach. She has an amazing CV which includes working as the England men's football team's Sports Psych under Gareth Southgate, and publishing her bestseller "Fear-less".

This episode is called “Momentum” and explores the team’s finding of its on and off field identity as the tour progresses, including:

shifting external perceptions and expectations of the team
a close call against Newport - but also an example of deep composure under pressure
incursions by outsiders into the locker room
a highly emotive context of playing Leicester on the anniversary of the death of 1905 Originals All Blacks captain Dave Gallaher (at the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917)
the team building momentum, and finding pockets of flow, in the north of England

In this episode Pippa and I traverse these events and explore in conversation:

healthy team cultures
Cliff Porter's leadership strengths
profiling some players past trauma and the power of this experience on their wellbeing
the concepts of momentum and flow

Click here to purchase a copy of Owen's book, Belonging.

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