Lessons in leadership for rugby legend Thierry Dusautoir

Even at the starting of his rugby union career, previous France captain Thierry Dusautoir was considering about the close. “Being a experienced rugby participant is wonderful — it is the very best point that has occurred in my everyday living,” he says. But it can end at any minute, he provides, no matter whether simply because of personal injury or a person better coming up, so you “need more weapons, like finding out, to have more options”.

It might now seem stunning that a person so acclaimed at any time concerned about long run career chances — or experienced time to. Whilst Dusautoir, 39, did not perform rugby until his mid teens, at first preferring judo, he turned experienced in 2001 at 19, heading on to enjoy a effective career with French clubs such as Biarritz and Toulouse.

In 2006, he was termed up to the French nationwide workforce, earning eighty caps in an intercontinental career that incorporated some legendary times. In 2010, he captained the French aspect to Grand Slam victory right before leading them to the 2011 World Cup final, which they missing to New Zealand’s All Blacks. He was also named Player of the Calendar year in 2011, the second Frenchman to earn the intercontinental title.

Dusautoir was captivated by the strategy that an EMBA could help him analyse the firms to commit in, and better guidance his possess

But Dusautoir also observed close friends struggle for a couple of several years following leaving the activity when they labored out what to do next. “I just wished to be the master of my everyday living,” he says. With an eye on making sure he would in truth have “options”, in 2008 he invested in his to start with firm, All My SMS, a textual content and voice messaging services. He now works in small business progress and system for the system, along with investing in other, typically tech, firms with a companion.

A conversation with previous intercontinental teammates Frédéric Michalak and Sébastien Chabal — the famously hirsute “caveman” — opened up the next alternative. Michalak and Chabal both of those started off EMLyon’s executive MBA in 2019. Immediately after listening to what they ended up up to, Dusautoir was captivated by the strategy that an EMBA could help him analyse the firms to commit in, and better guidance his possess.

“I went to EMLyon simply because I wished academic instruments to help me consider choices and have more self-self esteem when [I was] heading to offer with a person, speak about small business or do risk assessment of a firm,” he says. “I utilized to commit with my guts. Now I want to commit with my brain.”

A chemical engineering graduate, Dusautoir says it was “weird” heading again to faculty in September following fifteen several years. But he is already experiencing the networking and peer studying that arrive with an EMBA. “It is really satisfying to fulfill individuals from unique backgrounds who are setting up something with you,” he says.

The sense of cohesion struck a acquainted take note early on all through the system. Throughout the to start with 3-working day examine block, his bike was stolen when he was out with system mates for an evening. He was amazed that anyone wished to help.

“I was like, ‘Wow, I have regarded you for a single working day and it really felt like something that I skilled in rugby — the solidarity,” he says. “I felt that something was setting up concerning [us]. I would not say thank you to the thief, but it was a minute that confirmed me that perhaps I was getting into a new workforce.”

It is really satisfying to fulfill individuals from unique backgrounds who are setting up something with you

Dusautoir is already studying and reflecting on the lessons and his old everyday living. The to start with block was on administration, a topic he is acquainted with. He says he does not know that much about finance but “quite a bit” about administration as the captain of a workforce. It has been appealing to look at no matter whether leading a rugby workforce would have been easier with the knowledge acquired from the programme, he provides.

For instance, there was a hard minute in the 2011 World Cup when the French aspect was practically knocked out. Though the way the workforce bounced again jointly is a single of the proudest times of his rugby career, Dusautoir says being the chief came at a particular value. “I was considering that perhaps if I experienced regarded this [about administration] at this time, would it have been easier? Would I have experienced more electrical power for being a better participant on the pitch? Mainly because I missing a large amount of electrical power running the guys,” he says.

Though his administration experiments produced him mirror on his rugby career, he intends to use his working experience as an elite athlete to fulfill the needs of his EMBA. “I am heading to use the same recipe as when I was a participant — so function tough and try to discover better organisation with the loved ones,” he says. “My wife is with me: it is not my choice, it is a couple choice and a loved ones choice. I feel that is heading to help me a large amount in this, simply because you are unable to do nearly anything by yourself.”