All Black legend Campbell Johnstone reveals the mindset shift that redefined his game

Campbell Johnstone is a commanding high performance speaker whose tenure with All Blacks and professional clubs across Europe built a foundation of elite excellence and mental resilience.

As the 1,056th All Black and the first member of the squad to speak openly about his truth, he delivers insights into pressure, performance and purpose like few can.

In this exclusive interview with The Champions Rugby Speaker, Campbell reflects on how the core rhythms of top-level rugby – team unity, goal-setting and continual growth – translate into the boardroom, the workplace and the lives of individuals striving for meaning beyond the pitch.

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What has the sport taught you about drive, discipline, and sustaining high performance?

“I guess one of the main things that, through my rugby career, that I’ve learned and one of the biggest lessons that I ever was taught was the idea of remembering to refocus and reset your goals,” Johnstone says.

“I think when I was selected into the All Blacks – I go into this in depth, and a little bit more in depth in my talks – but when I was selected for the All Blacks, I’d achieved this one main goal, and that was my full focus for my whole life: this desire just to be an All Black.

“And I forgot that once I had accomplished that goal, I forgot to move the finish line.

“I forgot to reset, refocus, recharge and go again. In that sense, I forgot to say to myself, ‘Okay, I now want to be a great All Black’, or ‘Now I want to be a long-term All Black’.

“I think that’s one of the biggest learning curves I ever was taught – that your goals are a living document, and you’ve got to keep reassessing and you’ve got to keep refocusing, and you’ve got to keep moving that goal line or that finish post further away, so you can keep going forward, keep improving yourself, and be better.”

What lessons from the pitch do you think business leaders can learn about teamwork and accountability?

“Well, in a sports team, you need everybody – to use a phrase – you need everybody on the bus,” he replied.

“You can’t have somebody off the bus, and if there is somebody off the bus, you’ve got to try and get them back on the bus and on the same page as everybody else.

“That one person can really derail the whole team. For example, a person might not be as focused or willing to work on their skills in the sports sense because they see themselves as number two or they don’t see themselves playing that weekend.

“But if we have injuries or anything like that, then that person actually becomes the first cab off the rank and is quickly moved into the starting line-up.

“If they’re not prepared and haven’t been preparing themselves, then they’re going to let the whole team down.

“So, it’s a full focus on everybody in the team to actually look around and see who’s struggling – and people do drop off.

“They do drop off from their training; they do drop off on motivation.

“I think it’s a team environment that manages to really pick that person up or identifies the person who may have fallen off the bus, and get around them and help them and support them in whatever way it is to get them back on.

“I guess businesses can start using that sense – looking around and seeing how their employees are going.

“Some days, people have bad days, and you need to get around them and show a little bit of support, I guess.”

As one of the first openly gay All Blacks, why do you believe visible role models are so vital for young LGBTQ+ athletes?

“Well, I think it’s important on the same level that it’s important for any athlete or any person to have role models,” Johnstone explains.

“The main reason, I believe, is that sport keeps us both healthy and – it’s good for our mental health as well.

“It keeps us active and keeps us moving. And then, on a real point, it makes us see that anyone can achieve their goals if they set out and apply themselves.

“It makes the younger generation more motivated to achieve their goals, no matter what walk of life or where they come from.

“They see these athletes or people succeeding and being successful in their chosen sports or chosen fields, and it makes the younger generation motivated and want to achieve their goals.

“As people, we just keep moving forward, which is really special.

“I mean, I had many role models when I was a kid, and that’s what really kept me driving forward.”

How can organisations foster a culture where people feel safe and respected to bring their authentic selves to work?

“Businesses can create a culture of respect – and I think that’s the key element,” he says. “Respect comes in many different forms, and if I can relate it back to a sporting concept, we always hold as a value in sport the idea of respect: where you respect your opposition, you respect your teammate, you respect the umpire or the referee, and you generally respect the club.

“I think if we bring all the other smaller communities – such as the rainbow community and all sorts of others – under that same umbrella of respect, it will drive a very safe environment for everyone to be their true selves.

“They will see that everybody in the organisation is giving respect to whoever or whatever that person chooses or how they want to be.

“I think that’s one of the biggest things – that we must always keep in our minds the idea of respect.

“Respect is also a two-way road. You must give respect back as well – respect your organisation, the place you work for, and make sure that you adhere to the standards that are required, as they will respect you and your personal beliefs and your life.”

What core message or mindset do you hope people take away from your story?

“I hope they take away a sense of belief – a sense that no matter your race, sexuality, or religion, if you set a goal and you have the desire, determination, and belief, then it can be achieved,” Johnstone concludes.

“I hope that everyone takes that sense away from it – the idea of respect, and remembering that it takes all types to make a community.

“Everyone is generally wanting to be nice and be equal.

“We just have to give care and thought, look around, and be aware of the atmosphere or the environment you’re in – and respect that.”

This exclusive interview with Campbell Johnstone was conducted by Chris Tompkins of The Motivational Speakers Agency.

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