“Fight to the death.” This is one of Hawthorn Football Club’s trademark behaviours that Leading Teams has developed with them over the last decade, and was evident during the 2015 Grand Final at the MCG.
Leading Teams was first engaged by the Hawks in 2005, when Alastair Clarkson came on board as Senior Coach to rebuild the club. Director Kraig Grime who implemented our Performance Improvement Program at the club until 2010, said at the time,
“During Alastair’s first year in charge, we asked the players to identify the best leaders in the group and to decide what behaviour should be accepted at the club and what should not. Many great things happened that season. Clarkson, Evans and Robson all bought into the program. Their commitment meant that players came onside from the outset.”
Courage, Sacrifice, Mateship and Endurance were the pillars of the trademark they came up with at that time. Again, these were all obvious during the game and no doubt impacted how they won a record-breaking consecutive three flags.
The Hawthorn Football Club renewed their contract with Leading Teams at the beginning of the 2013 season when Director of Leading Teams, Ray McLean, took over the program. Further behaviours were then developed with the playing group as part of their trademark:
- Live an elite lifestyle
- Respect all
- Have a selfless attitude
- Leave your ego on the hook
- Have open and honest conversations – give and receive feedback when the time is right
- Fight to the death
Captain Luke Hodge said in 2013, “We came up with six behaviours that we believe that if we follow them and mark each other on them and live them, then we would be here saluting the premiership cup.”
Commenting on their 2015 premiership flag, Ray McLean said, “A strongly aligned culture and leadership is still the most reliable recipe for success.”
We are proud to have had such a successful working relationship with the three-peat Premiers and look forward to working with them towards their next flag.
Read more articles on our work with Hawthorn FC:
- https://www.leadingteams.net.au/leading-teams-model-in-action-hawthorn-football-club/
- https://www.leadingteams.net.au/leading-teams-and-the-hawthorn-football-club/
