Lessons in leadership for rugby legend Thierry Dusautoir

Even at the commencing of his rugby union job, previous France captain Thierry Dusautoir was imagining about the finish. “Being a experienced rugby participant is excellent — it is the greatest detail that has transpired in my life,” he suggests. But it can prevent at any second, he adds, regardless of whether since of injury or another person better coming up, so you “need far more weapons, like studying, to have far more options”.

It might now appear astonishing that another person so acclaimed ever apprehensive about future job alternatives — or experienced time to. While Dusautoir, 39, did not participate in rugby until his mid teens, to begin with preferring judo, he turned experienced in 2001 at 19, likely on to enjoy a productive job with French clubs these as Biarritz and Toulouse.

In 2006, he was known as up to the French countrywide workforce, earning eighty caps in an international job that integrated some iconic times. In 2010, he captained the French aspect to Grand Slam victory in advance of leading them to the 2011 Environment Cup remaining, which they misplaced to New Zealand’s All Blacks. He was also named Player of the Year in 2011, the 2nd Frenchman to get the international title.

Dusautoir was captivated by the concept that an EMBA could help him analyse the providers to invest in, and better assist his very own

But Dusautoir also noticed good friends wrestle for a couple of years immediately after leaving the sport when they worked out what to do future. “I just desired to be the master of my life,” he suggests. With an eye on making certain he would indeed have “options”, in 2008 he invested in his very first business, All My SMS, a textual content and voice messaging support. He now performs in business enterprise enhancement and technique for the platform, along with investing in other, largely tech, providers with a partner.

A dialogue with previous international teammates Frédéric Michalak and Sébastien Chabal — the famously hirsute “caveman” — opened up the future possibility. Michalak and Chabal the two started out EMLyon’s government MBA in 2019. Just after listening to what they have been up to, Dusautoir was captivated by the concept that an EMBA could help him analyse the providers to invest in, and better assist his very own.

“I went to EMLyon since I desired academic instruments to help me get conclusions and have far more self-confidence when [I was] likely to deal with another person, discuss about business enterprise or do chance investigation of a business,” he suggests. “I made use of to invest with my guts. Now I want to invest with my mind.”

A chemical engineering graduate, Dusautoir suggests it was “weird” likely back again to university in September immediately after 15 years. But he is previously enjoying the networking and peer discovering that appear with an EMBA. “It is truly satisfying to meet individuals from distinctive backgrounds who are starting off anything with you,” he suggests.

The feeling of cohesion struck a common notice early on in the course of the system. All through the very first 3-working day examine block, his bike was stolen when he was out with system mates for an evening. He was astonished that every person desired to help.

“I was like, ‘Wow, I have regarded you for just one working day and it truly felt like anything that I professional in rugby — the solidarity,” he suggests. “I felt that anything was starting off in between [us]. I would not say thank you to the thief, but it was a second that confirmed me that perhaps I was acquiring into a new workforce.”

It is truly satisfying to meet individuals from distinctive backgrounds who are starting off anything with you

Dusautoir is previously discovering and reflecting on the lessons and his outdated life. The very first block was on management, a subject matter he is common with. He suggests he doesn’t know that a great deal about finance but “quite a bit” about management as the captain of a workforce. It has been fascinating to contemplate regardless of whether leading a rugby workforce would have been much easier with the knowledge obtained from the programme, he adds.

For example, there was a hard second in the 2011 Environment Cup when the French aspect was just about knocked out. Though the way the workforce bounced back again together is just one of the proudest times of his rugby job, Dusautoir suggests getting the leader came at a particular cost. “I was imagining that perhaps if I experienced regarded this [about management] at this time, would it have been much easier? Would I have experienced far more electrical power for getting a better participant on the pitch? Since I misplaced a lot of electrical power running the guys,” he suggests.

Though his management reports made him reflect on his rugby job, he intends to use his practical experience as an elite athlete to meet the needs of his EMBA. “I am likely to use the exact same recipe as when I was a participant — so work really hard and test to locate better organisation with the relatives,” he suggests. “My spouse is with me: it is not my selection, it is a couple selection and a relatives selection. I consider that is likely to help me a lot in this, since you can’t do anything alone.”