Grand final week in Melbourne is like nothing else. Just about every conversation turns into theories of who is the better team, what the key match-ups or the winning margin will be and where we will be watching the game from.
If your team is in the grand final, let me tell you from personal experience, this week is a write-off when it comes to focus and getting work done. Add to that the nerves you have and the deep-seated hope that when the siren blows on Saturday afternoon you will be singing the club song.
Game day at the MCG is simply incredible, the energy, the camaraderie with fellow supporters, the roar of the crowd as your team runs in and the emotional ride you take for the four quarters of the game. We all say we want a good contest and a close finish. The truth is you want your team to belt the opposition in the first half so you can breathe in the second.
This year the Brisbane Lions face Geelong, and I in case you didn’t know I am a lion’s supporter. So, it felt right to write about Nathan Buckley’s presentation at the Business of Real Estate Conference earlier this month. He began at the Lions before the Collingwood era, and his take on leadership cuts through some of the noise of grand final week.
Buckley’s message is simple -know yourself. He speaks about the habit of self-criticism he carried for years, and how a young teammate finally held up a mirror. “Every time I talk to you, I feel like you’re just waiting for the next mistake.” That line sparked the turn from critic to coach, from hunting for faults to catching people doing things right. The shift was not soft. It was strategic. Self-awareness first, then better leadership for everyone around you.
Just as teams spend the week checking their readiness for the big game, Buckley asks leaders to do the same a quick scan of where you are out of ten right now, and then one small thing to bump yourself up a notch. “If you’re a six, don’t chase a ten. Find what takes you to a seven. That small lift makes you more present, more useful, and better able to connect.” Pressure has a protocol, whether you are walking onto the ‘G or into Monday’s meeting.
Of course, leadership is not only about self. Buckley learned the hard way that hovering over people kills initiative. For years he believed no one could do a job better than him. It made him relentless but also limiting. “If you’ve put someone in the role, let them own it. Nothing demotivates faster than a boss who comes over the top.” That lesson plays out in football and in business trust is a handover, not a hover. The great teams, like the ones still alive in September, win because every player knows their role and has ownership of it.
He also reminded us that not everyone prepares the same way. Some players pump the music and feed off the energy, others slip into silence and need clear air. His job as coach was to create multiple runways into the game so each individual could arrive in their best state. “You can’t just broadcast one message and expect it to land. You’ve got to allow expression so every player can connect and be ready to perform.” In business, the same truth holds we have different players that will need different preps. The real art of leadership is making room for both.
And then there is the part most of us overlook: energy. Buckley confessed to coaching years where he worked until 3am, convinced he was doing the team a favour, only to turn up at training at a four out of ten. Eventually he flipped it bed earlier, up earlier, exercise, connection, fuel. “Presenting the best version of you is more important than any material you bring to the table.” We say energy is contagious in a crowd of 100,000, but it’s also strategy in a team of ten.
Purpose matters just as much. Buckley told the room that simply rocking up to hit the numbers will never be enough. “What’s your higher purpose? Because when people know the meaning of their work, they give more.” It’s the same reason grand finals are more than just another game, players know they are carrying history, community, and legacy. When leaders make purpose visible, people find another gear.
Buckley’s words on vulnerability tied it all together. People give more when they feel seen, heard, and respected. “When people feel acknowledged, when they feel seen, when they feel heard that’s when they’ll give you everything they’ve got.” Seen first. Stretched second. That order matters.
He shared with us a photo of his garden pinned above his desk. Most of it is thriving, however one little plant on the side is struggling. His instinct used to be to zero in on the flaw. Now, the photo reminds him to notice the 95 percent that is working. It is a practice of perspective. Spot the pressure points, yes. But also name what is working, because momentum grows where attention goes.
Grand finals are decided by moments, but they are made by habits. The habits Buckley described are not game day tricks. They are daily settings that make game day possible.
I look forward to the roar of the crowd as the teams run in, singing Up There Cazaly, the first bounce and most importantly joining other Lions fans sing the teams song at the final siren….. Go the Lions!!!!