The Myth of Busyness
How to Be Productive Without Losing Your Mind
"Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved." — Mattie J. T. Stepanek.
Mattie was an American motivational speaker, lyricist and author. He had seven books published, some of which made the New York Times Best Seller list. Mattie passed away in 2004 at the age of just 13.
"When old people speak it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths; it is because we see something which you do not see." — Chinua Achebe
Achebe is regarded as the father of African literature, a prominent author, Man Booker International Prize winner, teacher, poet, and critic of how Africa was portrayed in Western literature.
These two quotes, from people at opposite ends of life, remind us that wisdom and unity are not accidents. They are built.
Team Work
If you are parents of youngsters or plan to be in the near future, do yourself a favour and get your kids involved in organised, competitive, team sports.
Not only will the fresh air and sunlight be a benefit to them, their social skills will be enhanced, they will learn to be humble winnners and be gracious losers. A few will even go on to make a decent living from their chosen sport.
It is a well known fact that the second most important position that one person can hold in Australia is to be captain of the Australian cricket team. For sure it is a better paying position than that of Prime Minister. Less of them to remember as well.
Team sports open doors and give pathways that few other choices can. Become a member of a cricket team and the possibility is there to become both the Australian cricket captain and PM!
Personally, I played in a magoo’s Premiership in 1982. A long time ago and I see others from this team rarely. However, when I do meet one of them or the team collectivley the bond that made us successful all those years ago is instantly reignited and the respect flows.
A Great Leader
I wrote the following piece almost four years ago when the 1982 team mentioned above were having the 40th Anniversary reunion of that successful season and I was unable to attend.
“A little self indulgence....
‘Twas September 1982, the Steve Miller band were weaving their magic with Abracadabra, Eye of the Tiger was motivating countless suburban and country footballers and many Jack’s were looking for their own Dianne. Carlton was about to take the Premiership over Richmond and Gurners Lane would soon storm home to win the Melbourne Gup. It was the year in which George Bailey and Nick Riewoldt were born.
I was a 20 year old nursing a severe hangover having just been part of a team that won the GFL Reserves Premiership.
I was sent a copy of the team photo this week and it reminded me of a number of things, first and foremost that it was one of the strongest reserve teams that I have seen and that it was a pleasure to be surrounded, week after week, by such good players. It was actually a tough year for the club as players yo-yoed back and forth from the seniors to the reserves. Great for us blokes who played mainly in the frosties that year.
Leadership, let’s talk leadership. We had a seriously good Captain/Coach in Eric “Bricka” Smith who had entrusted myself with the match day captaincy for the season. But given Bricka’s own leadership skills and the number of leaders throughout the team, across every line, my role was little more than the coin tosser. I was, and am proud, to be given this role as it provided great experience for future roles in life. When I look at the team photo I see probably a thousand games of senior GFL appearances in it. Handy for the two’s.
A week after the Grand Final was won we had the B&F count, the same day the team photo was taken. I was fortunate enough to have the most votes when the count had ended. Surprisingly, the Captain/Coach had not polled a vote despite winning the League award a few weeks earlier. Thanks mate. Again, I take pride in this award knowing that playing with good players, week in and week out, bought the best out of me.
Great memories still and they always will be. Great to be part of such a good team with good players and leaders. A great learning period, absolutely instilling in me the need for everyone to be part of a team. Losing with pride and more importantly winning with grace and humility. Get your kids playing in a team.
Matters returned to the norm some weeks later, I backed Kingston Town in the Gup”.
And that Great Leader? It was Eric Smith, not me.
The Jigsaw
Before we take a look at the Collingwood Football Club, let us have look at a common past time for a moment.
The jigsaw puzzle.
I believe that all successful teams must resemble a completed jigsaw puzzle or be on the way to becoming a completed jigsaw puzzle.
Each piece of a jigsaw has connecting parts — the rounded tab, known as an interjamb, and the hollow it connects into, known as the blank.
When you start a jigsaw puzzle, where do you begin? Corners first? Edges second? Or somewhere in the middle?
It doesn’t really matter.
What matters is that when completed, all pieces hold together. When stress is applied, cracks do not appear. A completed jigsaw can withstand disturbance without falling apart.
Scrabble tiles or dominoes, on the other hand, scatter immediately. They have no interlocking strength.
A jigsaw holds together because every piece connects and supports another.
That is the essence of a successful team.
The Collingwood Coaching Panel
One of the major reasons Collingwood were successful in 2023 was the diversity of their coaching panel.
Like a jigsaw, they were held together by individuals interlocking, forming a complete picture. Each person was different in shape, background, and experience. This diversity made success both more challenging and more rewarding.
The coaching panel consisted of Craig McRae (Senior Coach), Brendon Bolton (Director of Coaching), Justin Leppitsch (Head of Strategy), mid field coaches Hayden Skipworth and Scott Selwood, Neville Jetta (Forwards Coach) and Andy Otten (Defensive Coach).
Josh Fraser (Head of Development), Jordan Roughead (Opposition and Development Coach) and Chloe McMillan (Womans Coach) were also members of the coaching panel.
They shared one passion — Australian Rules football.
They shared one goal — to win the Premiership.
But beyond that, they were very different.
Born in different states
Male and female
Some were elite players, others were not.
Some were former teammates, others were not.
Craig McRae, Justin Leppitsch and others had successful playing careers.
McRae and Leppitsch were triple Premiership players together. They understood winning. They shared a special, bond built through shared experience.
But success as players does not guarantee success as coaches.
What matters is how the pieces fit together.
Communication
With such diversity, communication becomes everything.
Each coach would have had their own ideas. Their own opinions. Their own beliefs about how the game should be played.
But they could not operate independently.
The defensive coach could not follow one plan while the forward coach followed another. Chaos would result.
As the senior coach, McRae would set the overall plan.
Others contributed ideas. These ideas would be discussed, challenged, refined. But ultimately, responsibility rested with McRae.
This is leadership.
Not consensus for its own sake. Not shared responsibility that dissolves accountability. Leadership requires listening — and deciding.
In jigsaw terms, the interjambs are the ears. The blanks are the mouth. They should not work independently.
Communication flows:
Down and up
Sideways
Up and down
Information is passed, discussed, refined, and returned.
Each level carries responsibility appropriate to its position.
Buy-in from the coaching panel is achieved not through authority alone, but through inclusion.
Often, listening is more important than speaking.
Many leaders sometimes tend to forget this.
The Jigsaw Expands
So far, we have looked only at the coaching panel.
But Collingwood did not win the Premiership with coaches alone. They had 44 players on their list. Thirty-eight played senior matches during the season. Every one of the 44 contributed to the outcome, including those who never played a game. But their role still mattered.
Communication among players involves a great amount of sideways interaction — peer to peer. But communication still flows upward through leadership groups and back down from the coaching panel.
The leadership groups provide feedback.
Coaches listen.
Players feel validated and valued.
Buy-in to the game plan strengthens.
Belonging increases.
The team becomes stronger.
Clear communication channels prevent confusion. Each coach communicates with their area of responsibility. If there was overlapping through the communication channels and authority it would create disorder and disharmony.
Structure creates clarity.
The Development Team
There is one more layer.
The Development team.
These players are the future. They must learn the same game plan. They must become part of the same jigsaw.
Senior coaches communicate with Development coaches. Development coaches communicate with development players.
The interjambs and blanks continue to connect.
Buy-in extends beyond the present into the future.
The original jigsaw of 25 pieces grows into one of over 100 pieces. And still,
Each piece matters.
Each connection matters.
Each voice matters.
But most importantly, each piece must connect to the larger picture.
Without connection, there is no team.
Without communication, there is no connection.
Without unity, there is no success.