Jean de Villiers was named Springbok captain for 2012 before the series victory over England in June, which made him South Africa’s 54th Test skipper. He is one of the most experienced Springboks ever and a natural leader, having led Western Province and the Stormers during his provincial career. De Villiers is deceptively quick, has superb handling skills and has an uncanny knack for intercept tries. Injuries saw him miss the Rugby World Cup in 2003 and all but 40 odd minutes of the tournament in 2007, but in 2011 he was one of the Boks’ backline stars in New Zealand.
My Definition Of Success | I find it quite difficult to judge success, because it’s something one can attain on so many levels and being a rugby player, people think success can only be measured in terms of trophies won. Personally I think success is something you have to keep on striving towards, but can never really reach in totality. For me, the meaning of success has also changed as I got older – having had two beautiful children and seeing the joy one can get from being part of a happy family, is also a form of success and makes me immensely happy. So it’s not always about the rugby, rather life as a whole.
What Drives Me | I’m probably driven by my family first and then the fear of failure.
My Highlights | During my rugby career two moments will always stand out – first was making my Test debut for South Africa way back in 2002 against France in Marseilles, and secondly when Heyneke Meyer offered me the Springbok captaincy in 2012. Personally, I’d say the highlights included when I married Marlie and the two beautiful daughters we have, Layli and Lana.
The Difference Between good And Great | It all comes down to sheer determination – never giving up and always pushing the boundaries.
Characteristics Of Success | I would identify four – work ethic, determination, using setbacks as motivation and enjoyment.
Critical Skills To Develop | It’s vitally important to know exactly what is expected of you in doing your job to the best of your ability, knowing my strengths and weaknesses and striving for constant improvement.
Lessons I Have Learnt | Setbacks are a given and are part of life. It’s all about how you approach them, because if your attitude isn’t right, these setbacks could hold you down. On the other hand, if you make the most of a bad situation, they could ultimately make you a better person.
Performing At My Peak | Preparation is vital! Being a sportsman and as I got older, I also learnt that you need to ensure your body is in peak condition, so I have to take care of myself a bit more than in my younger days.
Resources I Use To Stay Inspired | My coaches and team-mates do that, as well as everyday regular people I come in contact with. I constantly learn what to do and what not to.
The Best Advice I’ve Received | Never give up.
Lloyd Blankfein has been the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. since June 2006, and a Director since April 2003. He serves as a member of the Goldman Sachs Management Committee and Board of Directors. Previously, he had been the firm’s President and Chief Operating Officer and prior to that, […]
Debbie Millman – TLP is an American writer, educator, artist, and designer who is perhaps best known as the host of the Design Observer podcast ‘Design Matters’. She is ‘President of Design’ at Sterling Brands, based in New York City, working with brands such as Pepsi, Gillette, Colgate, Kimberly-Clark, Nestlé, and Campbells. She chairs the […]
MICHAELA STRACHAN is one of UK TV’s best loved and most well-known wildlife presenters. She has been presenting since 1986 on a variety of programmes from The Wide Awake Club to The Hitman And Her, The Really Wild Show to Michaela’s Wild Challenge, Elephant Diaries to Countryfile to Springwatch and many, many more. She started […]
Lance Brown author of “The Driver of Change” is a living testament to his “Creating Opportunities” philosophy and presentations. Growing up in Mitchells Plain, a Cape Town suburb where dreams rarely stretch beyond one’s street corner, Lance dared to reach for the stars. From a small seed of a basic job as a delivery driver […]
Jeremie Kubicek is the founder of the GiANT Companies (GiANT Worldwide, GiANT Impact, GiANT Partners, GiANT Capital and GiANT Experiences) and the author of Making Your Leadership Come Alive (a Wall Street Journal and INC. Magazine bestseller). They own and operate the global brands and events, Catalyst and the Leadercast. My Definition Of Success | My […]
Eileen McDargh Legacy Project is founder and CEO of the consulting firm, The Resilient Spirit. She teaches organizations like Cisco, Novartis, Oracle, and Procter & Gamble ways of building resilient leadership teams and workplaces. Eileen McDargh Legacy Project Novartis’s Dr. Rob Kowlaski, Senior VP and Global Head of Drug Regulatory Affairs and U.S. Head of […]
Alfredo Barsuglia is an Austrian artist. His most recent project is the Social Pool which is an eleven-by-five-feet wide pool in the Southern California desert, open for anybody to use. Alfredo Barsuglia Definition Of Success | Basically I would say success is to be able to put your ideas into realization, but in general it’s […]
David is one of the co-founders at Sanergy. David has worked at Ignia Fund in Mexico and at Endeavor. He was the Deputy Chair for Poverty Alleviation at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2005-2006, and taught in China for two years. David holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and a BA with distinction from Yale […]
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