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Author: Tim Dive, Director.
In the world of business, we often look to the corporate giants or successful entrepreneurs for leadership advice. But what if we could learn just as much from the sporting world? In this case, the Brisbane Broncos, historically a powerhouse in the National Rugby League (NRL), offer valuable lessons on leadership, decision-making, and driving a high-performance culture. Their recent handling of exiting Head Coach, Kevin Walters, is a case study that any business leader should examine.
We’ve identified five masterstrokes of leadership that the Brisbane Broncos applied to guide their decision making, even in the face of tough calls made against friends, club greats, and legends of the game. Whether you’re leading a small business, managing a team, or steering a major company, these lessons can be directly applied to improve performance, build stronger teams, and create lasting success.
The Broncos’ leadership was courageous enough to realise something wasn’t right after a significant drop in team performance over a four-year period, but especially after dropping from the top 11% of their field (top 2 in 2023), to the bottom 30% in 2024.
One of the key lessons the Broncos impart is the importance of continually measuring performance in an honest meaningful way. Just like in sports, businesses need to track their progress, benchmark their performance, and assess where they stand against competitors or key performance indicators (KPIs).
In business, this means looking at your sales, productivity, and employee engagement regularly. Are you performing where you want to be? If the answer is no, then it’s time to take a deeper look at what’s driving that gap. Early identification of issues allows for swift action before the problem becomes too large to manage.
For the Broncos, a significant realisation was that their organisation wasn’t meeting its non-negotiable standards. Despite their past success, the Broncos’ management team didn’t let their past victories cloud their judgment. They maintained a strong commitment to the standards they had set, recognising that their long-term goal was to be in the top 8 teams in the NRL—a target representing being among the top 47% in their industry.
For businesses, this means setting non-negotiable standards for your employees, your products, and your services. Once those standards are in place, ensure that they are consistently maintained and measured. Falling below those standards, even temporarily, should trigger action to get things back on track.
One of the hardest things for any leadership team to do is to remove emotional ties from their decisions—especially when those ties involve beloved team members or long-serving leaders. The Broncos had a deep connection to their head coach, Kevin Walters, a club legend. Yet, they recognised that to improve performance, they needed to make a change, and quickly.
In the world of business, this means making tough calls, even when it involves people you may have long relationships with. Leaders must assess whether their team members are still aligned with the company’s goals and values. If not, decisions need to be made swiftly, without letting personal feelings cloud professional judgment.
When the Broncos identified the need for change, they didn’t just look for someone who had the technical expertise to lead the team. They sought someone who aligned with their values and could bring the right leadership traits to the table. The skills of senior leaders were a given—they were in the mix because of their capabilities. But the real difference-maker for the Broncos was finding a leader whose values aligned with the culture they wanted to create.
In business, it’s common to prioritise experience and skills when hiring for senior roles. But the real success comes from values-based hiring—ensuring that the person shares the vision and values that will drive the organisation forward. Don’t just look for someone who can do the job; look for someone who can embody the culture and lead by example.
The final masterstroke of the Broncos’ leadership team was their transparent execution of the decision-making process. Kevin Walters himself acknowledged that it was the right time to step aside, which speaks volumes about the internal communication and transparency within the team. Everyone was on the same page throughout the process.
For businesses, this highlights the importance of clear and open communication, especially during difficult transitions. Leaders need to foster a culture where transparency is the norm, ensuring that everyone understands the decisions being made and the reasons behind them. This helps prevent misunderstandings and keeps the team aligned with the company’s long-term goals.
The Brisbane Broncos’ handling of leadership transitions provides a playbook for business leaders across all industries. By continually assessing performance, setting high standards, removing emotional bias, recruiting based on values, and maintaining clear communication, any organisation can position itself for long-term success.
Whether you’re in the NRL or running a small business, these leadership lessons are universal. The principles of performance management, values-driven recruitment, and effective communication will always be the cornerstone of a thriving organisation.
Remember: it’s not just about having the best people; it’s about having the right people who align with your values and are committed to maintaining the high standards that will push your business forward. Take these lessons from the Broncos, and apply them to your own organisation to create a winning culture and a lasting impact.
