Online Course

If Better is Possible: Through his own management consultancy firm, Buchanan Coaching, former Australian team cricket coach John Buchanan takes the lessons he has learnt from sport and applies them to business. Through Buchanan Coaching, John offers his philosophy and proven track record in support of the highest outcome for both individuals and teams. His approach is built around a simple phrase with a powerful intention: “What’s your Everest?” Everest is the ability to perpetually sustain peak performance – to achieve the greatest possible outcome in your work, day in and day out. In short, the goal of the Everest program is to remove fate from the equation of success. John believes that with the right combination of measurable data and deliberate self-reflection, you can almost completely eliminate the variables that lead to success in your day-to-day life. He has a lot of experience to draw from in this regard: from 1999 to 2007, John coached the Australian cricket team through 16 consecutive test wins, 23 consecutive wins in World Cup, and being the first to record 400 runs in an international ODI (One Day International) game – all world records, and a run that made them the most successful team in the history of the sport. The most crucial element of the Everest program is the concept of the set play – a series of actions you complete in order to set yourself up for a personal best day, every day. This course is an introduction to, and a refresher for, what set plays are and how to establish them. It covers the nature of repeatable success, the basic ingredients to a set play, and how to prioritise the elements in your set plays effectively. It is intended to be completed on the go, ideally right before you are about to create your own set plays, so that the core concepts are fresh in your mind.

Books

If Better is Possible: The Winning Strategies from the Coach of Australia’s Most Successful Cricket Team

John Buchanan is the most successful cricket coach in history, a remarkable achievement given that when he was appointed in October 1999 to replace Geoff Marsh, many people doubted him due to his lack of Test-level experience. He proved the critics wrong. Along with current captain Ricky Ponting, John led the Aussie team to unprecedented success, including a world-record 16 consecutive Test match victories; 2001, 2002/03 and 2006/07 Ashes triumphs; the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa; a victorious 2004 tour of India; the team’s fi rst-ever ICC Champions Trophy; and the 2007 ICC World Cup in the West Indies. After stepping down as Australian coach in 2007, John took up the coaching role for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural Indian Premier League, which was held in 2008. In If Better Is Possible, John brings his innovative style, his leadership principles and his visionary drive to the wider community. He has written a book not only for the sports fan, but for anyone who would like an insight into achieving real, long-lasting success, whatever their field of endeavour. Each chapter is short and punchy and written in an entertaining, accessible way u perfect for the busy employee or employer, parent or coach who wants easy-to-grasp, ‘take-home’ advice on topics such as: * achieving mental toughness, thinking outside the square, the importance of role models * The importance of backing yourself * the role of the mentor/coach/teacher * creating a culture of success * effective communication * scouting the opposition etc

When New Zealand wicket keeper-batsman Brendon McCullum walked out to open the batting for the Kolkata Knight Riders against the Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 18, 2008, in the first match of the inaugural Indian Premier League, the cricket world watched with anticipation and curiosity. How would the world take to the Twenty20 format and the IPL? Would local fans support privately-owned franchises full of foreign players?

Cricket is a traditional game. With the odd exception it has remained largely unchanged for nearly a century and a half. The Bodyline series and the World Series Cricket revolution changed the game in their times; the IPL has the potential to usher in even more significant changes to the way the game is played. That’s the reason I was so keen to be involved.

T20 had proved successful in domestic competitions and as one-off internationals but the IPL was an undertaking – and a gamble – on an entirely different level. The franchise system was a departure from traditional state, county, provincial or national representative cricket: privately-owned teams would represent cities, with players selected via auction from all over the world. The IPL and its franchise owners had invested hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars in a speculative venture that had the potential to either fall flat on its face or change the face of cricket.

So much depended on the players. Professionals, they were being handsomely rewarded for their time – some extremely so – but the jury was still out as far as T20 was concerned: was it cheap, sideshow entertainment or did it have a place at the table alongside the more traditional forms of the game? How would crowds – and for that matter, players – respond?

One of the greatest appeals of T20 is the speed at which it is played. Whereas a Test match can take five days to provide an answer and even a 50-over match up to eight hours, we had our answer in less than an hour and a half.

Eighty exhilarating minutes to be precise, was how long it took McCullum to smash an unbeaten 158 from just 73 balls, including an incredible 13 sixes. The crowd was delirious, TV viewers enraptured, the owners thrilled. The question had been answered: this was the future of cricket.

ARE YOU PLANNING TO REACH YOUR EVEREST?