What a rugby crowd can teach us about leadership

Episode Number

32

This simple moment at the rugby became a powerful reminder that leadership often begins with noticing.

This episode starts with a moment at Twickenham that completely caught me off guard and ended up teaching me more about leadership than I expected.

I was there to enjoy the Rugby match, not to learn a lesson, but what happened in those first few minutes made me stop and think about expectations, assumptions and how easy it is to react before you truly understand what is going on. It reminded me how important it is, especially in a new environment, to observe first and act later.

As I reflected on the woman behind me and her reaction, I realised how often we do this at work. We step into a new organisation or team and challenge something before we have taken the time to understand the culture, the behaviours or the unwritten rules.

When we rush, we risk creating conflict or misjudgment that could have been avoided. Giving ourselves that brief pause, the one Viktor Frankl describes so well, helps us respond thoughtfully instead of reacting emotionally.

This simple moment at the rugby became a powerful reminder that leadership often begins with noticing.

Highlights:

(01:22) The unexpected moment at Twickenham that made me stop and think

(03:41) How quick assumptions can create unnecessary tension

(06:31) Why observing a culture first helps me lead better

(08:34) What I learned about espoused values versus real behaviour

(10:00) How pausing helps me respond rather than react

(10:44) Why Viktor Frankl’s model now stays in my mind at work

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