No Shortcuts
Stuart Lancaster on Building High-Performing Teams at PorterShed
Nigel Moran
Marketing & Communications | PorterShed
“Get the right people on the bus and drive it somewhere great.”
That was one of the standout messages when Stuart Lancaster, Head Coach of Connacht Rugby, joined us at PorterShed for the latest event in our 10 for 10 series, supported by Genesys.
Under the theme “No Shortcuts on Building Success,” Stuart shared lessons from a career spent developing people, shaping culture and building high-performing teams at the highest levels of professional rugby.
But the conversation went far beyond sport. For the founders, business leaders and wider Galway community in the room, there were clear parallels with building a company, growing a team and creating an environment where people can perform at their best.
Building success starts with people
One idea came through clearly throughout the evening: the people around you matter.
“Get the right people on the bus and drive it somewhere great” captured Stuart’s approach to building successful teams. Talent plays its part, but sustained performance also depends on shared standards, clear direction and a culture that people actively contribute to.
That thinking translates directly from professional sport to business. Whether you’re building a startup, leading an established team or working towards your own goals, the environment and people around you can make a significant difference.
There are no shortcuts to high performance
The theme of the evening, No Shortcuts on Building Success, reflected a simple reality: strong teams and strong cultures take time to build.
Stuart brought that message to life through lessons from his career across England Rugby, Leinster Rugby, Racing 92 and now Connacht Rugby.
Different teams and different environments bring different challenges, but many of the fundamentals remain the same: people, preparation, leadership, culture and a commitment to keep improving.
These are principles that apply just as strongly to founders and growing businesses as they do to professional sport.
Bringing Galway’s community together
Our 10 for 10 series marks 10 years of PorterShed by bringing our community together to hear from people with valuable experience across business, technology, leadership, sport and beyond.
A huge thank you to Stuart Lancaster for taking the time to join us, share his experiences and answer questions from the room.
Thank you to Joe Smyth and the team at Genesys for sponsoring the evening and supporting another 10 for 10 event at PorterShed. Their support helped us create another opportunity for our community to connect, learn and take something valuable back to their own teams.
A special thank you also to Aoife Kenny and the team at Connacht Rugby for their support in bringing the evening to life.
Build from Galway with the right people around you
Access to events, conversations and connections like this is one of the benefits of being part of the PorterShed community.
Our members get more than a place to work. They become part of a network of founders, startups, teams and partners, with regular opportunities to connect, learn and build relationships across Galway’s innovation ecosystem.
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