Ben Ryan on Leadership in Chaos - Transforming Fiji Rugby and Football Beyond

In this episode of A Load of BS on Sport, Dan and Dan sit down with Ben Ryan, the Performance Director at Brentford FC and former coach of Fiji's Olympic-winning Rugby Sevens team. Ben shares his remarkable journey from the world of English rugby to leading Fiji to gold at the Rio Olympics, and now shaping performance at Brentford. He talks about the importance of leadership, discipline, and cultural sensitivity in creating high-performing teams, as well as the balance between structure and freedom that allows athletes to thrive. Tune in for insights on coaching, team dynamics, and what it truly takes to build a winning culture across sports.Show Notes:Ben discusses his journey from rugby coach to Performance Director at Brentford FCReflections on leading Fiji to Olympic gold and the lessons learned in team cultureBen shares how discipline and structure helped transform the Fijian team’s performanceThe importance of balancing freedom with high standards in elite sportInsights into the challenges of transitioning from rugby to football leadershipBen talks about the power of alignment and communication in building successful teamsThe role of player care and cultural sensitivity in managing a diverse squadBen critiques the obsession with marginal gains and emphasises the importance of solid foundations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.