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Gregor Townsend: Keys to Leadership

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Gregor Townsend (@gregortownsend) is the men's head coach for the Scotland national rugby team and a former player. He was a five time winner of the Centenary Quaich and a winner and a two time runner up of the Six Nations Championship. As head coach of the Scotland national rugby team, his accolades include finishing third at the Six Nations Championship and winning both the Calcutta Cup and the Auld Alliance Trophy all in 2018.

In this video, Gregor Townsend highlights several key aspects of leadership and guiding a team. Townsend's first leadership tenant is creating a team vision. He encourages coaches to be ambitious in contemplating where a team can go; a vision should be inspiring for a team and confirm their coach's belief in them. Townsend emphasizes the idea of being 'with the team' and being vulnerable. It is important to put the team first and own up to mistakes. Coaches should make clear that they are dedicated to the team and not just to themselves. Finally, Townsend stresses the importance of hard work. Hard work is vital for success under any circumstance, and coaches should be putting in the same effort they expect of players.