We were delighted to host an evening event with Chris Paterson MBE and Stuart McInally, both former captains of the Scotland Rugby Union team, who shared their experiences and reflections of leadership at an international sporting level, in a discussion with Saxton Bampfylde Partner and Consultant Siân Brown.
“The desire to be a good leader is inherent; the skills to be a good captain needs to be learned.”
Leadership comes in many forms, but being the captain of a national sporting team and competing on a world stage takes a certain mindset. It demands the highest level of commitment, hard work and focus on one’s own development, but also an innate desire to support and encourage teammates to do their very best.
For Chris Paterson, sometimes it was the title of captain that brought him the most challenge. With extraordinary pressure to focus on his own game, while also trying to think about everyone else’s performance, it did, at times, impact his form and his ability to lead. He observed that: “I was actually a better leader at times when I wasn’t captain.”
This honest reflection of leadership and the responsibility that comes with a title or being identified as the person in charge is a crucial element of the best leaders – being able to recognise their human weaknesses and respond to them is a skill that needs to be continually developed.
“Good is not good enough, you have to want to be great.”
Leading by example is a key motivator for a team, but that is taken to a different level of expectation in an international sporting environment. The expectations of a nation are carried by a relatively small number of people, and that demands an extraordinary level of commitment from the person leading that team – physically, mentally and emotionally. The team cannot succeed without a collaborative mindset where everyone puts in their optimum effort, but this stems inexorably from the captain or team leader.
Stuart McInally believes that one of the key elements of fostering that collaboration, was in the preparation: “For me it was all about preparation – I prepared out of my skin.” His hunger for greatness, and the preparation it took to get there, was the example he set as captain, and this filtered through to his teammates in each game.
Always pushing himself and willing to take chances, there is one phrase that has resonated throughout McInally’s career: “I’d rather look back and say ‘Ah well’, rather than ‘what if’. With a very clear goal to one day captain the Scottish national team Stuart took a significant risk by agreeing to switch position from back row to hooker as he knew this was his chance to make it off the bench and achieve his goal of becoming captain. Two very strategically and physically different positions, Stuart knew that it would take a minimum of two years extra training to be selected for the national side. Hee was utterly committed to pursuing his ambition – a true demonstration to his unwavering commitment and focus on being the best.
He trained supremely hard and with the backing of his coaches and development team he made the change and achieved 49 caps for Scotland and captained the team for for eight games. It is fair to say he did it right.
“If you think you are getting close to giving up; you are probably getting to the point of reaching your full potential.”
In sport, as in business, finding the right mentor can be very significant in how you perform as a leader and the approach that you take. Being open to engaging both with and as a mentor does require an open mindset and an ability to receive and give feedback – as mentor and mentee. Both former captains agreed that it has to be the right pairing to achieve results You need to push to improve each other; that is the only way development will come.
“Deeds not words.”
At the end of the day, it is about what you do, not what you say. Both Chris and Stuart acknowledged that it can be lonely at the top, like any other leadership position, but as captain you need to keep pushing to bring your best version every day. You do need to be vulnerable and willing to share, but equally laser focused and supremely self-motivated. It is a short career, comparatively, but many of the challenges resonate beyond the field to other areas of future work and life.
Recognising that these two individuals are so driven and focused on achieving excellence, it was acknowledged that translating that into life beyond rugby, where few people have shared the same stratospheric goals, can be very hard. Paterson reflected: “You need empathy and the ability to really push your team, but in the right way. Off the field, I would argue that you have the potential to be even more influential; use your learnings from being in that intense team culture and translate it into every day life when the pressure is less intense on you alone.”
Since retiring from international rugby, Chris and Stuart remain committed to the tremendous work ethos and leadership qualities they demonstrated on the field in their new career paths. Still involved with rugby on a day-to-day basis Chris is an ambassador and specialist coach for the Scotland and Edinburgh rugby union teams. Stuart is training to become a commercial airline pilot and hopes to have completed his training in the next 12 months.
Biographies
Chris Paterson MBE is Scotland’s record point scorer, the only Scottish player to play in four rugby world cups and holds the record of 15 world cup appearances. Chris retired as a professional player in 2012 finishing on 108 caps. Chris was appointed an MBE in 2012 for services to Scottish Rugby and today works as a specialist skills coach and ambassador for the Scottish Rugby Union.
Stuart McInally, is a former Edinburgh and Scotland Captain, leading the national team to the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. One of Edinburgh’s longest-serving players, Stuart made his professional debut in 2010 and went on to make 177 appearances for the club over 12 seasons. From captain on the field to captain in the cockpit, Stuart hung up his boots in 2023 to pursue a career as a commercial airline pilot bringing to an end an impressive rugby career.
Saxton Bampfylde is proud to support Switch the Play Foundation, a respected charity committed to helping athletes with education, personal development, and career transitions. Established by a group of sports professionals, practitioners, and academics, the charity offers vital support to athletes as they transition to life beyond their sporting careers. We were delighted to raise funds for the charity at our event by holding a raffle with our guests. To learn more about their impactful work, explore ways to get involved, or make a donation, please visit their website.