As New Zealanders who enjoy their rugby, it is good to be reminded occasionally that there is much more to the All Blacks than their week-to-week success, something that is worth remembering when the side suffers inevitable disappointments.
While they have achieved an incredible rate of success across the generations, a situation that has only grown as the game has gone professional, they have also been representative of a New Zealand fighting for its place on the world stage.
In the attached YouTube clip this wider appreciation of what the All Blacks can show in terms of leadership is something some New Zealanders might not comprehend - what they do is more than just a game.
American John Laurito has made a study of leadership and, as a convert to rugby in recent years, he has identified values in the All Blacks side that are a reminder to businesses across the world of the value of teamwork and attention to detail under pressure.
Words like ‘choreography’, ‘like watching a Broadway play’, and ‘graceful’ would leave some All Blacks of the past thinking Laurito had lost the plot. But he makes his point well and puts perspective into why the All Blacks are such a great brand across the world, not just in sport but in everyday life.
See for yourself on: