Will Fraser European Champions Cup and Premiership winning rugby player and founder of 100&First, a people and culture consultancy helping organizations build more resilient, cohesive teams. Will spent a decade at Saracens RFC, one of the most decorated club sides in European rugby, before retiring from the game in 2017 and channeling what he learned on the pitch into his work with leaders and organizations. We spoke with him about what it takes to lead through pressure, and why the teams that get it right usually aren't doing anything complicated.
Clarity Beats Complexity. Every Time.
Will Fraser has won at the highest levels of European rugby. He's also spent time since stepping back from the game thinking seriously about what made those teams work and what made others fall apart. His answers are worth sitting with.
Q. What made the difference between teams that delivered under pressure and those that struggled?
Experience and understanding. When we were under pressure or behind, there was never panic, no changing what we were doing. We had belief in what we were doing and stuck to the plan.
Q. How do you see the role of AI and data alongside instinct in elite sport?
There is an intangible feel of a game that AI and data can't pick up. But combining great data with players' feel for the game would be powerful.
Q. What do teams in transition need from their leadership?
Clarity and understanding. Leaders often add unnecessary complexity, but teams need simplicity and clarity in those moments.
Three answers, but really one through-line: when things get complicated, the instinct to add more processes, more messaging, more oversight usually makes the situation worse. Will's seen it play out on the biggest stages in rugby. The teams that held together had belief in what they were doing, kept the message simple, and trusted the people around them to follow through. That's a harder discipline than it sounds, and most organizations are still figuring it out.
This Q&A is one stop on From the Field, our collection on what sport teaches us about change. Sam Hutchinson makes the case next door for getting everyone bought in before the pressure hits, worth a read while you're here. And if your own team has a big change ahead, keep the game plan simple and the whole squad on it. Let's talk.
