S5 Ep2: #53 All-Blacks Management, Excellence & Curiosity with Darren Shand (Manager, All Blacks)

The Curious Advantage Podcast

In this captivating podcast episode, we delve into the remarkable journey of Darren Shand, the driving force behind the legendary All-Blacks Rugby team since 2004. Darren's tenure has been marked by historic achievements, including Rugby World Cup victories, undefeated seasons, Tri Nations, and Rugby Championships wins, three Grand Slams, and the coveted title of World Rugby Team of the Year. The All-Blacks even clinched the prestigious Laureus Award for World Sports Team of the Year.

During our engaging conversation, Darren reveals his leadership philosophy, emphasizing how he cultivates curiosity and continuous development in top athletes. He introduces his unique leadership style and his renowned triangle model. Notably, he openly discusses the challenges of managing a consistently successful team, offering insights into motivating and guiding the squad after rare defeats—a testament to his unwavering commitment to excellence.

As our conversation unfolds, we gain insights into Darren's new career pursuits and his curiosity about the future. Join us for a fascinating exploration of Darren’s journey, his strategies for success, and his enduring curiosity that propels him onward.

Produced by Aliki Paolinelis, Jessica Wickham and Edited by Roman Pechersk, Danny Cross
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About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series
The Curious Advantage Podcast series is brought to you by the authors of the book The Curious Advantage, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown & Garrick Jones and it is about how individuals and organizations use the power of curiosity to drive success in their lives and organizations, especially in the context of our new digital reality. It brings to life the latest understanding from neuroscience, anthropology, history, and behaviorism about curiosity and makes these useful for everyone.
About ‘The Curious Advantage’ Book
The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused.
At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called ’Sailing the 7 C’s of Curiosity’. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com