New Zealand’s Rugby World Cup campaign kicked-off today with a scintillating match against South Africa. As the two teams tipped to meet in the final, to see them play against each other in their first Pool match was a real treat.
What stood out to me in the build-up to this match was an amazing quote given by All Black’s coach, Steve Hansen.
The most important thing for any team is you turn up with attitude and intent. When you have that you can express your talent.
It’s not always going to go your way, but if you don’t turn up with the right attitude and intent, a good team is going to give you a punch on the nose and hurt you. You can’t just turn up… you have to build it and slowly get clarity of your game.
What you want is the execution of the stuff you’ve been working on, and you’ve got to stay clear-headed, and not get over-excited or under-excited, but stay in the zone mentally.
Attitude and intent is a game played in the top two inches. A clear mind, steely determination, and grounded self-confidence are needed for the natural talent to emerge.
Upon reflection, this model of thinking isn’t reserved for elite sportspeople. In our professional and personal lives, we’re constantly faced with challenges that require us to persuade, debate, re-think, re-frame, and improve.
The attitude and intent we bring to each of these moments matters.