The Power of Influence and good decision making

When you look at sporting and business success, it is a painful truth that credit does not always go to the right place. The real man of the match can often be lost in the congratulations heaped upon the goal kicker or the multiple try scorer. The business executive under whose name the success is attributed may not be the real force behind the performance, simply the name who is recognised. 

One of the great aspects of sport and particularly rugby is that it relies so much on a combination of efforts. In addition there will be pivotal moments of key decisions which can turn a game and make all the difference.

KEY INFLUENCERS 

There is no doubt that the supremacy of the All Blacks was driven by their two playmakers , Dan Carter and Richie McCaw. Countless times they have been at the sharp end when it matters most, winning key possession or scoring vital points. They are also calmness personified. Jonny Wilkinson was another one who never seemed to lose his cool and of course kicked the World Cup winning drop goal with his wrong foot. Martin Johnson preferred to provide leadership through action, or the odd well chosen word. Without him, England failed to win at least two if not three Grand Slams. He had such a strong personality and other players gained critical strength from him.

The best business decisions are rarely based on emotion.There will always be the need for strong and brave leaders but often the main determinants of success come from unerring and unwavering clarity of thought.

DECISION-MAKERS 

There is one thing worse than a bad decision, and that is no decision at all. How many times have we seen a team with only a few minutes left to play, and no one makes a change or takes a risk.Some people are blessed with the innate ability to assess risk and come out the right side, or sometimes are just plain lucky. Kicking to the corner for the line out and going for broke would have made Robshaw a hero in the World Cup had it come off. In the World Cup quarter final Scotland were on the cusp of a sensational win against Australia and could not keep their heads in the excitement. Four bad decisions later and they had lost the game, albeit ultimately to an unfortunate refereeing decision.

We all look to our leaders for decisions and rightly so. What marks out the good ones are those who remain calm under the pressure, but above all we expect our leaders to act and be judged on the consequences. That goes with the territory.

THE ULTIMATE FORM OF LEADERSHIP 

The best teams are full of potential leaders but they will still go with a decision made. Where they lose respect is when their boss hasn’t listened or won’t acknowledge an obvious point brought to them by a key influencer. A leader has to be a quick learner, sometimes the hard way, and the best results come from gathering all the critical input and then acting decisively. Those that last longest funnily enough get things more right than wrong!