Sir Clive Woodward reveals his secret to peak performance and winning mindsets

Sir Clive Woodward is widely celebrated as a Peak Performance speaker, whose proven strategies in sport and leadership have influenced teams and organisations worldwide.

From guiding England to their legendary 2003 Rugby World Cup victory to shaping Team GB‘s elite performance at London 2012, he has applied his insights into mindset, culture and continuous improvement across both athletic and corporate arenas.

In this exclusive interview with The Champions Rugby Speakers, Sir Clive shares the principles behind high-performing teams, reveals how to embed winning cultures, and offers lessons in leadership that transcend the playing field.

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How can leaders create genuine, lasting positive change in the workplace?

“Interestingly enough, I read a book recently, and I’ve got the book with me here by Niall Ferguson,” Woodward said.

“It’s a great book, but the key paragraph – and I make no point of reading it – throughout history, hierarchies housed in high towers have claimed to rule, but the real power has resided in networks in the town square below.

“It’s the networks that innovate, and it’s through networks that revolutionary ideas can contagiously spread.

“So when you think about what Ferguson has said there, what we’re basically saying is, historically, all the power is at the top of the building, at the top of the organisation.

“And what he’s saying – and what I totally believe, what I’ve kind of learned from my experience – is that the real power is on the shop floor, the workforce, your team, your employees.

“It’s through those you’ve got to really listen, and that’s where contagious ideas can spread.

“So, the whole thing about the workplace is really understanding that if you’re in a leadership position, it’s really listening to your team and making sure you really listen.

“I used to think leadership was all about the guy at the top of the organisation – or the lady at the top – coming up with all the ideas.

“I’ve kind of moved well on from that. What it’s become is really good listening. I think the idea of leadership is listening to your team and then really understanding what they’re saying to you.

“Then, if it makes sense, actually putting those ideas in place. Leadership does that.

“I find myself not thinking of good ideas but actually thinking, ‘That’s a great idea that makes the boat go faster. I’m going to try and do everything I possibly can to make that happen’.

“So, creating a positive change in the workforce doesn’t happen just by luck, but by real engagement of your employees, making sure they feel engaged and that they can put forward new thoughts and new ideas on a continuous basis.”

Sir Clive Woodward reveals how to build winning teams on and off the field.

What core qualities define a truly elite and effective workplace culture?

“I pride myself on leading high-performance teams in sports and business, but if there’s a secret to creating a high-performing team in the workplace, it’s this: if you get every individual – and I mean every individual – working at his or her optimal level, teamwork becomes a lot easier,” he explains.

“I see so many people get this wrong where they put too much emphasis on teamwork and all these different ideas.

“If you get every individual working at an optimal level, they’ll respond, and then the teamwork becomes easier.

“When I’m looking at individuals, there are three characteristics I look for.

“The first is what I call a sponge or a rock – they’re teachable. We’re looking for people who have the ability to take on knowledge, to learn, to actually put themselves out there into tough places at times.

“The key – what’s technically known as a growth mindset, not a fixed mindset – I call it sponge and rock.

“You have a growth mindset, not a fixed one. Your ability to learn, to take on knowledge, and sometimes to relearn and start again in different areas.

“The second characteristic I look for is people who can play and perform under pressure.

“Pressure is a great growing word – it sets people apart. Let’s face it, anyone can do anything when there’s no pressure.

“Real champion individuals perform well under pressure, but it’s not something you’re born with – it’s something you can teach.

“I spent a lot of time teaching individuals in my team how to handle pressure.

“Lastly, I’m looking for people with the right attitude. You can have all the learning and the ability to handle pressure, but attitude is absolutely key.”

How does organisational culture influence employee wellbeing and long-term performance?

“I actually think the ‘C’ in CEO should stand for culture – I think it’s absolutely key, and I use this concept called ‘teamship’,” Woodward replies.

“I read a lot of business books – if I read one sports book, I’ll read ten business books – but I’ve never seen this concept written about in any business book. Teamship is all about inclusive management.

“The best way to explain it: when I’m with my team discussing something relevant to the business or the behaviour of the team, I always set the scene – this is what I’m thinking – but I want to hear from the team.

“I want to hear what everyone is thinking about this one subject.

“For example, I think time says more about an individual or team than almost anything.

“You can’t just keep saying, ‘Don’t be late, be on time’. I wanted the team to discuss time, to really understand its importance.

“So, for example, with the rugby team I coached, I got them to discuss it, and they came back with this concept: if you’re going to call a meeting to start at 11 o’clock, we’ll be in the room at 10 to 11.

“The leader is still in control – they report back to you with their thinking. You can agree or disagree.

“In that case, I agreed, and that became one of our first teamship rules. We branded it ‘Lombardi Time’, after Vince Lombardi, a famous American football coach.

“If you speak to any player who played for me during those eight or nine years with England, they’ll know Lombardi Time – they were always 10 minutes early.”

What strategies would you recommend to leaders managing transformational change or trying to re-engage a demotivated workforce?

“If you really want to challenge orthodox thinking – and that’s a great word, orthodox – you must challenge the way things have always been done,” Woodward insists.

“One way I’ve done this, both in sport and in business, is by inviting guests into my environment.

“These guests were people I knew, but they weren’t involved in rugby.

“We had bankers, hedge fund managers, people from pharmaceuticals, headmistresses, police officers – you name it.

“I’d say, ‘Come and spend a day or two with me. You’ll see a high-performing environment. Please stay at the back, don’t interrupt, but by the time you leave, I want one idea – just one – that could make us better’.

“Over the eight years coaching England, around 50 people took part, and every single one left with at least one idea we could implement.”

Reflecting on your success with England’s Rugby World Cup team and Team GB, what single factor most contributed to their sustained excellence?

“In professional sport – and sport is no different from business, by the way – the key common denominator is what I call ‘100 things 1% better’,” he reflects.

“I’ve never worked in a business or sport where one big idea changed everything. It’s always about the detail – doing 100 things 1% better.

“The key is ensuring everyone in your team has the capacity to put forward new thoughts and ideas – this will make the boat go faster, which is my all-time favourite line.”

This exclusive interview with Sir Clive Woodward was conducted by Chris Tompkins of The Motivational Speakers Agency.

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