James Kerr is a leadership and strategy consultant. Most notably he has studied the success of the New Zealand rugby team to uncover their strategies for success. The lessons range from leadership to embracing innovation.
For his best selling book Legacy. What All Blacks can teach us about the business of life 15 lessons in Leadership, James spent time with the All Blacks witnessing first hand how the team operates. He analyses how the team comes together and what enabled them to move from an impressive 75% win rate to 86% in five years, becoming a dominant force in world rugby, despite hailing from one of the smallest populations.

James’s conclusions have important lessons for anyone involved in leading, building, or working in a team. From having senior players tidy up the dressing room to focusing everyone’s minds on the core story of the team, its culture, and its heritage. Other key points include the value placed on recruitment based on character, not just talent, how working for a bigger goal delivers bigger performances, and why you should change your game when you’re on top of your game. In addition to writing, James has worked as a consultant for businesses including HSBC, Boeing, and Shell, specializing in how to lead change and deliver top teams.