Leaders, Players and Ma'a Nonu

I have often wondered why some truly talented players in sport and business have the ability to be brilliant and awful almost at the same time.

Ma'a Nonu is a case in point.  

When Nonu is on his game, he is unbeatable, but when he isn't I wouldn't want him anywhere near my team.  What have tried to figure out is what he, and others like him, need to succeed?. Here’s my conclusion, and I reckon the same applies to business.

Not all brilliant players can be leaders.  It’s as simple as that.  Ma’a only does well when he is surrounded by people that, in his eyes, are better than him.  

In the early days of his career in Wellington, Tana Umanga set the standard, and in the All Blacks, it is true leaders like Richie McCaw, Kieran Reid, and Dan Carter that keep the bar high.  But when Ma’a is expected to lead, he caves.  He sets a terrible example (yellow cards are far too common), plays like a novice (knock-ons, cheap shots, and poor decisions), and is generally a liability to not only his own team but to the game itself.

He wasn’t a high performer for the Hurricanes after Tana left, nor during his time with the Blues and at the Highlanders he has been sub-par.  Yet, during this same time period he continued to deliver as an All Black.

So it is in business.

Some people are just better when all they have to do is focus on their own game.  They are not ‘senior players’ in anything other than length of service.  They will never be good team leaders, and they certainly are not managers.  Does that make them any less of a contributor to the team?  Definitely not!  

We desperately want these people, who are brilliant at their game, to be brilliant at their game and not be distracted by things they are not wired to handle.  These people are game changers.  They will do things no-one else can do, win deals, deliver projects and beat the competition in ways that are simply super human.  They might not be leaders, but they can still be superstars.

So, when you hire a superstar from another team (company) consider this - just because they are superb, doesn’t mean they can lead your team to success.  A sales star at one company could be a dismal failure at another if they are expected to lead and they are not wired to do it.  

Make sure the people you choose as leaders are in fact leaders.  And make sure your best players and free to play.  And on the rare occasion you find the best players are also the best leaders, hold on to them like your team depends on them.  You never know, it just might.

Will we see Ma’a turning out for the Crusaders? For his sake, I hope so.

Here’s to success!