In the past week the world has lost a truly inspirational and influential leader.
Nelson Mandela did so much to encourage social change, and while the world still has its issues, we are a better off for having him and his influence in it.
He proves that just one person can have such an influence that it actually shapes our world. Just imagine what we could achieve if we all walked in the footprints of Mandela – if we truly stood up for what we believed in, and inspired others to do the same. We could change the shape of our global village too.
While there are no definitive traits regarding what constitutes a good leader, I’d suggest good leaders should have the ability to be supportive, loyal, empathetic, and inspirational. Good leaders should be able to influence and inspire those around them to strive to reach a common goal. A good leader should be able to lead in any situation and be adaptable.
Leadership is a key element in sport. Poor leadership can lead to a poor culture and poor results. But when you’re working under an inspiring leader, anything is achievable.
A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to put together a segment for Chris Laidlaw’s Sunday Morning show on Radio New Zealand National. We discussed sporting leaders and their influence over social change.
While I would have loved to delve into other sports, our main focus was leadership in rugby. We talked about the role of the All Black captain and how it is arguably the most influential job in this country. Many Kiwi kids don’t grow up wanting to be Prime Minister (well, some do); they want to be the captain of the All Blacks.
Of course, not just anyone can be the captain of our international rugby team. They have to have all the traits mentioned above. So I set out to find some of the most influential (I would have loved to have interviewed Richie McCaw, but he was touring at the time). Chris Laidlaw was an All Black captain so he understands what the role is like. We talked with Sir Brian Lochore, about captaining our team during the 1960s – a time of social revolution.
Then, we spoke with Graham Mourie, who was the captain of the All Blacks in 1981. He made himself “unavailable” for the Springboks tour (the infamous ‘81 tour) because of his social standpoint regarding apartheid.
That’s not something he often talks about, but he spoke to us about it. That standpoint helped shape our country’s views. It added weight to the cause. The country was split – some were pro-tour, others were not. But it was an important part of our social history, and Mourie was a leader who helped shape that.
They have taken the opportunity to do some good, and use their skills and abilities to influence social change for the better
We also had Dr Farah Palmer on the show. She has been a trailblazer for breaking down barriers in rugby. Traditionally, even more so than it does now, the sport was seen to uphold masculine ideas and was a key part of the “kiwi masculine” landscape. But she led the New Zealand women’s rugby team to four back-to-back world titles and proved that women are just as capable as men on the rugby field.
Player turned commentator Ken Laban spoke to us about the influence of late Samoan rugby great Peter Fatialofa and how he inspired the Pasifika community to participate, and excel in sports like rugby. Laban also discussed how others have also influenced social change through leadership, including Australian rugby player David Pocock, who will not marry his fiancée until there is marriage equality in his country.
You might think that all these people are highly influential because they have high profiles, but these leaders are just normal people like you and me. They have taken the opportunity to do some good, and use their skills and abilities to influence social change for the better. They inspired, supported, influenced and adapted, and we can do the same.
If there is an issue that you are truly passionate about stand up for it. Join groups who share like minds. Be inspired by others who have gone before you and inspire others to do the same.
Together we can influence social change for the better.
