Semper Fidelis: Latin for “Always Faithful”, and the motto of Jan van Riebeeck Primary School. This core value deeply reflects the culture that I experienced these last three years in the preschool environment. The school has fostered an incredible sense of community among its students, parents and educators. It is a motto that drives proactive involvement, a deep sense of dedication and an overall feeling of ownership.
Caroline and I were privileged to see this on full display at the annual Grade R concert. The costumes, the choreographed script, the overall quality of the production, coupled with a packed hall and enthusiastic crowd of parents and grandparents… it was truly a special moment to close out this chapter. Matie was splendidly engaged as a dancing motorcar, and he loved it so much he didn’t want to take his makeup off for bed later that night. I think our boy loves the stage as much as his father.
The concert was a result of a collaborative effort between all the members of the community. I truly believe this school, like many others, has cultivated its own sense of tribalism. A buy-in to the shared set of values and vision, an agreement of our behaviour towards each other, and a shared vision of where we are going and what we want it all to mean.
This is pretty much a hallmark of all great organizations. Alignment of the core values. It’s also a cornerstone of the success story that has been the Springboks this year (and last year, and the years before that). Johan “Rassie” Erasmus has been Mr Delivery. Building depth, winning trophies, reworking the product to add in razzle-dazzle… a tickmark on all fronts, and it can be traced back to an alignment on a culture built over the last few years.
Thanks, Rassie. Thanks Huppelland and Jan van Riebeeck. You’ve given all of us a great few years. Looking forward to more great shows, more razzle-dazzle, more building of community and forward momentum.
Read an excerpt from Boks to Business on how culture starts with the leader below.
Excerpt from Boks to Business:
Johan Erasmus was born and raised in Despatch in the Eastern Cape. A regular schoolboy in a loving, somewhat normal middle-class family, he toughened up as a youngster. An alcoholic self-harming father forced him to take on a lot of additional responsibility at an early age – at 10, he was driving the family car to keep his sisters safe. He would find himself in the driving seat many more times in his life, those in his care increasing in number until finally, he would hold the hopes and dreams of an entire nation in his hands.
When his talent for the sport led him to a career as a provincial and then a Springbok rugby player, this small-town boy found the taste of the big city and the big time to his liking. The exposure and the lifestyle were not something his upbringing had prepared him for, however, and the recognition and stardom quickly went to his head.
Within the Springbok camp, he easily formed cliques with other players, most notably his Cheetahs teammates André Venter and Naka Drotské. He was a talented player and part of a golden era – but the sheen quickly wore off, and the coming of coach Harry Viljoen would prove the end of his playing days.
What did Rassie believe then, and what does he believe these days? When he was young, he believed that authority was there to be questioned, rules there to be broken (or at least challenged) and fun was to be had whenever the chance presented itself.
This hasn’t changed much. He has, in the third act of his career, added a few new beliefs, though.
He believes in choosing hungry players. Players with a sense of plucky tribalism – a bit of ‘wild dog’ in them. Players with resilience, who just won’t quit. Players who chase lost causes, and hunt in packs. Players who keep on fighting past the final buzzer, who make up for lack of ability with work ethic. Who take ownership of their duties and step up to support those of their teammates. Who go above and beyond for their team and their country, and who stay humble. Who respect and mind each other, embracing differences and celebrating diversity. Who can leave their past, however difficult, behind to embrace the future best version of themselves. Players who embody the fight in the dog, not the dog in the fight.
Selections made, the next step was where Erasmus differentiated himself from his predecessors. In years past Springbok coaches would gather a squad for a first training camp. Not so Erasmus. After the assembling of his core group, there were no drills. No playing field; no rugby balls or scrum machines or game-analysis videos.
All they did was go through the playbook. The first Springbok alignment camp – two full days of sitting in a boardroom with over 30 very well-paid sportsmen, the cream of South Africa’s rugby crop – entailed discussion. Alignment, by its nature, meant that Rassie wanted to share his vision. Articulate the three core priorities. Establish the values and principles that would guide behaviour. He involved the entire team in the conversation, workshopping said behaviours and principles, and seeking buy-in and alignment to those rules.
In the Erasmus–Nienaber era, players received individual scorecards that tracked their stats and development. Their core responsibilities and deliverables were established and aligned with the team’s objectives, and every player had to subscribe both to their individual developmental goals and the team’s overall vision and tactical approach. They subscribed to new defensive structures, new paradigms around the size of the dog in the fight, new views on locker room protocol and which traditions remained relevant. They agreed to a new ideology of equality, ownership and transparency, where there were no cliques, no whispers behind closed doors and no sense of entitlement.
It was a step change that would transform the team, and the country.
It can be argued that he lucked out with a crop of outstanding players. Charismatic Stormers captain Siya Kolisi, already a senior Bok and someone he had worked with for over a decade, was ready and available for the captaincy. He was also an African man, and the underlying benefits in terms of quickly swinging public perception were obvious. Other black players with exceptional skill came through the ranks as well, and he arguably had more to work with than his predecessors in relation to diversity. But then, you make your own luck, and he had plenty of time in over a decade of coaching at all levels of the domestic game to identify and nurture those talents to fruition. When he took the reins, he had a good sense of the players available to him, and he risked betting on a heady mix of youth and experience.
That serves as a critical point. One of the things Rassie emphasised throughout his coaching career at the Boks – always, in true South African style, chase lost causes – was most beautifully illustrated by diminutive winger Cheslin Kolbe’s charge-down of a conversion kick in the 2023 quarter-final against France. A certain two points were prevented by the unlikely intervention, perfectly legal but unusual at this level of the game. Kolbe, a speedster, had studied Thomas Ramos’s kicking technique, and knew he could possibly (not probably) interfere with Ramos’s conversion attempt by rushing up during his pre-kick routine and blocking the ball. This missed kick ended up being the difference between the two teams.
Rassie excelled in his handling of senior players. Eben Etzebeth, Duane Vermeulen, Willie le Roux, to name a few. Exceptional athletes who had played many games, and would, in teams past, have leant into a culture of seniority that was prevalent in the Bok camp. Scrapping a lot of the conventions that would have enabled a sense of entitlement, he compelled every player to prove themselves, in every game. Never missing a chance to call out senior players for not giving their all, he made it clear that a lack of humility was a one-way pass out of selection.
This focus on team over individuals was showcased in two other Cup-winning Springbok teams. Jake White famously sent Victor Matfield home from a tour to Australia and New Zealand to ponder his attitude. The star lock’s absence meant the Boks narrowly lost their games on tour. But as coach and player resolved their differences, Matfield then contributed to historic home wins and a second Tri-Nations Cup in 2004. They collaborated successfully for three more years, culminating in a World Cup victory in 2007.
The same can be said for Tiaan Strauss in Kitch Christie’s 1995 winning side. The coach made a disciplinary example of the celebrated Strauss in the 1994 year-end tour, punishing him with a humiliating hiding from the whole team for being late for a morning run. Strauss, until that point the second most senior player in the team, was relegated to a support figure, and his career never recovered. Sacrificing this popular and inspirational player proved a masterstroke from Christie: It reinforced the sense that no one was above the rules, and the side went on to undefeated tests throughout Christie’s tenure.
In an environment of superstardom and public adulation, big heads form quickly, but elevating the team above self remains a core tenet of enduring success. Whether it is Siya Kolisi and the Boks, or Lionel Messi and the Argentinian World Cup football champions, or Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, a pattern can be detected in a superstar player who fulfils their potential while sustaining a great sense of personal humility and persistent work ethic.
Incorporating a dynamic defence strategy into the broader theme of emphasising ownership among team members, Erasmus implemented an innovative approach with the Springboks during the 2018 home series against England, particularly with new wings Sbu Nkosi and Aphiwe Dyantyi. Unlike traditional, rigid defensive structures, Erasmus granted these players autonomy over and accountability in their defence decisions on the field. This bold strategy sought to leverage their natural instincts and abilities, fostering a sense of ownership that extended beyond offensive play to include critical defensive responsibilities.
Rassie insisted that there be no ‘behind closed doors’ conversations. He understood his players and the dynamic that would develop if things were not out in the open. Contrary to the popular management theory of praising in public but criticising in private, he both complimented performance and did not hesitate to address issues in the locker room. Players needed to face up to their shortcomings as well as be recognised for their contributions. The players didn’t always like it, but there is no doubt it worked. Full transparency became a foundational principle in building a team that would have sustained success.
There was also a focus on mindfulness. From what music was played in the locker room to how people greeted each other to where they sat on the bus, the old order of Afrikaans-dominated traditions was adjusted to make sure everyone felt included. “Mind the other”, as stalwart Duane Vermeulen put it.
How does this talk of values translate to the business world? Let’s turn our attention to an Indian immigrant to South Africa, who focused on a niche market and then almost lost his way…
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