E355 | From 75% to World's Best: The Legacy System Behind 125 Years of Dominance

As 2025 draws to a close, we're replaying some of the show's standout conversations from this year. This episode with James Kerr remains one of the most thought-provoking discussions. Whether you're hearing it for the first time or revisiting the insights, there's plenty here to fuel your leadership thinking as we head into the new year.

James Kerr is a writer, coach, and consultant who specialises in leadership, culture and mindset in high-performing teams. His global bestseller, 'Legacy' has been described by The Daily Telegraph as “the modern version of Vince Lombardi’s guides to coaching”, saying that "for those searching for genuine keys to team culture, it is manna from heaven".

James has worked with Tier One Special Forces, the English Premier League, international cricket, Formula One, America’s Cup, Major League Baseball, and Olympic pathways. He has guest lectured at Westpoint Military Academy, Sandhurst and Eton College and written for the BBC, Independent, Times and Guardian. His corporate clients have included Google, Spotify, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Co, Adidas, and Arc'teryx.

In this frank discussion, Dominic explores the synergy between individual leadership and collective vision, and the critical role of cultural evolution in maintaining relevance and potency. James shares how the iconic “Sweeping the Shed” mantra, revolutionised team culture at the All Blacks, and how these principles can be applied beyond the rugby field into business and everyday life.

Discover

The Role of Values in Sustainable Success: By embracing values such as humility, responsibility, and respect, the All Blacks created a foundation for long-term success, demonstrating that values-driven cultures outperform talent-driven ones.

The Power of Rituals and Symbols: The enduring significance of the Haka demonstrates how rituals and symbols can reinforce identity, unity, and purpose within a team.

Leadership Across Domains: The principles of leadership and cultural excellence are universal and can be applied across diverse fields, demonstrated by James’ work in sports, military, and business.

Neuroscience and Leadership: The interplay between neuroscience and performance underpins how understanding the brain's responses to fear and confidence can inspire leaders to strike a balance between challenges and support, fostering growth and accountability.

Connect with James - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kerr-09a70bb

Connect with Dominic - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouse

Book recommendations:

Viktor Frankl - Man's Search For Meaning - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/347571/mans-search-for-meaning-by-viktor-e-frankl/9781846046384

Daniel Kahneman - Thinking, Fast and Slow - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/56314/thinking-fast-and-slow-by-kahneman-daniel/9780141033570

Daniel Coyle - The Culture Code - https://danielcoyle.com/the-culture-code/

Jim Collins - Good To Great - https://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/good-to-great.html#articletop

James' book Legacy is out now - https://danielcoyle.com/the-culture-code/

Dominic’s book Mind Your F**king Business is out now - https://www.monkhouseandcompany.com/mind-your-fking-business/

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Follow Dominic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouse