Whilst we have all been “gutted” by the events in San Francisco recently, shining like a beacon in the smog of depression and despair has been the inspirational leadership of Dean Barker and Grant Dalton.
Their demeanour in the face of the devastating loss has been absolutely inspirational. Their simple but uniquely NZ qualities have reminded us all of what we as Kiwis really cherish and admire in our national heroes, role models and leaders…humility, heart, honesty, dignity and good ol’ fashioned guts and nuggety determination. Can you imagine these guys ever asking one of their team to do something they wouldn’t be prepared to do themselves?
They have carried the weight of a nation’s hopes and dreams on their shoulders- we have celebrated, cried and commiserated with them. They epitomise all the warrior qualities we expect as a country and even in defeat they have stayed true to their values.
We may have lost the series but we have showcased to the rest of the world New Zealand’s ability to punch above our weight, our never ending passion for innovation, our courage and our preparedness to take on the world.
Hold your heads high Dean and Grant …you have shown us just how good we can be and left us with some powerful lessons in leadership during good and not so good times.
By Paul Bell