Peak performance is a mindset.
For more than two decades, Darren Shand was the driving force behind the culture and high-performance environment that shaped the New Zealand All Blacks into the world’s most successful international sports team.
His focus is on building the “team around the team” and creating an environment that wholeheartedly supports peak performance was instilled into the very fabric of All Black’s leadership. It is no accident that their winning percentage of 76.77% across more than 600 test matches is unrivalled in world sport.
Today, Darren shares his concept of ‘Winning Teams’ with business and sporting leaders around the globe empowering them with the tools and guidance they need to navigate the intricacies of team dynamics, become more effective leaders, and foster empowering and collaborative environments that cultivate peak performance.
Darren’s philosophy and leadership style are deeply influenced by the profound insights and principles articulated by eminent thought leaders such as Jim Collins, renowned for his groundbreaking work on organisational excellence; Patrick Lencioni, celebrated for his expertise in team dynamics and organisational health; Simon Sinek, known for his innovative approach to inspiring leadership and finding purpose; and Nicholas Janni, recognised for his profound understanding of conscious leadership and personal development. Drawing from their collective wisdom, Darren integrates diverse perspectives to shape his approach to leadership and management.
Talking Points
Creating Winning Teams
Building a winning team—whether in sport or business—goes far beyond assembling top talent. It’s about cultivating a culture where people thrive, purpose drives performance, and the sum becomes greater than its parts. Drawing on two decades at the heart of the legendary All Blacks era, Darren Shand shares the philosophy, leadership principles, and behind-the-scenes strategies that shaped one of the most successful teams in sporting history. From the quiet power of support roles to the culture-shaping influence of values-driven leadership, this keynote explores how to grow people, align purpose, and embed high performance into the DNA of a team.
Key Takeaways:
• Understand the importance of the "team around the team" and how to leverage collective effort for sustained success
• Embrace the “we over me” mindset and the unseen contributions that drive extraordinary outcomes
• Discover how to grow people based on values, compatibility, and collaboration—not just capability
• Learn how to turn ordinary moments, roles, and individuals into the foundation of extraordinary achievements
Creating Winning Teams
Supporting Peak Performance
Sustaining peak performance is never a one-off achievement—it’s a culture, a rhythm, and a mindset. In this keynote, Darren Shand draws on his deep experience guiding the All Blacks through their most dominant era to explore what it really takes to create and maintain a high-performance environment. From aligning people around shared purpose and values to embedding resilience and continuous improvement into the team’s DNA, Darren reveals the systems and behaviours that empower individuals and organisations to consistently operate at their best.
Key Takeaways:
• Discover how shared purpose, goals, values, and ethics create unity and drive excellence
• Learn how complementary skills and clearly defined roles contribute to seamless collaboration
• Explore how trust, open communication, and accountability underpin a resilient and adaptable culture
• Understand the power of continuous improvement, recognition, and celebration in building enduring performance
Supporting Peak Performance
Video
The SECRETS behind the ALL BLACKS with Darren Shand
Darren Shand is a legend in the Rugby world. He has been the All Blacks Manager since 2004, which included the incredible 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup. Darren and I sat down to record a Trilogy on his insights and expertise when it comes to leadership and leading a remarkable team. In this first episode, Darren and I spoke about how leadership, teamwork and culture have all contributed to the success of the All Blacks. Darren has had a remarkable career, and I know this episode is filled with a lot of golden nuggets.Darren was fantastic to work with. He listened carefully to our requirements, and delivered lots of entertaining stories which is exactly what we asked for. His key takeaway points on leader ... keep reading Master Plumbers
Darren was extremely approachable and open. He was honest and upfront. He was professional, informative, and entertaining.
Darren was a very interesting and engaging speaker. Darren was approachable and friendly and a real pleasure to work with. Our team really enjoyed listening to Darren speak.
Great guy with some great Leadership insight that he weaved well into his own story.
We engaged with Darren to present on building high performing teams and a winning culture to a group of aspiring and senior leaders in the Les Mills team. Darren did a superb job of delivering an inspiring and motivating message while all the time relating it to our day to day environment. Darren coupled a great presentation with ad hoc questions that left the group highly engaged, inspired and armed with fresh thoughts on leading in their environments.
Darren was a huge hit with our group. The perfect presenter for a group of leaders who don't necessarily work together but all have the same challenges. 10/10 would recommend.
Already feedback is telling us that Darren was the most memorable part of our company conference. Darren told engaging stories that were easily linked directly to team performance within our business. Darren has a personable and relatable style and his messaging is very clear. We have Managers withing our business already adapting their approach and many team conversations in play. Would highly recommend Darren as a speaker. We would love to have had him for longer.
