As a die-hard Australian rugby fan and supporter (and as someone who has, literally, personally invested a lot more than just loyalty!), it was a pure and utter joy to see the “men in gold” defeat England at Twickenham earlier this morning (Australian time).

This was, and is, a team under enormous pressure and a sporting code that has received criticism from all and sundry for a very long time. Decision-makers and management at nearly every level conceivable have had to hear or read numerous Australian armchair pundits tell them each and every mistake they have made year after year.

It is against that backdrop that I wanted to share, particularly given my expertise in working with thousands of organisations on a daily basis on cultural and leadership challenges, why there are some lessons from this win for every organisation and every employer, regardless of industry and regardless of location. How, you may ask? Well, quite simply because the era in which we live is one where everyone has an opinion about everything and they have a countless number of formal and informal platforms to share those opinions.

If you are a leader of an organisation, particularly a senior leader, you probably know exactly what it is like to be scrutinised by others. Even when those same people (or some of them at least) have supposedly trusted you to do a job that is based around making your organisation successful.

So here are my five key “corporate culture” takeaways from this historic moment …primarily for leaders but perhaps for anyone who may be feeling the “heat” in their life at a particular point in time.

1. Patience Really is a Virtue

Some organisations are fortunate enough to operate in a space or at a time where even without doing too much, success follows. Part of the credit here needs to go to those who identified an opportunity or who perhaps persisted with it, founders as an example.

But one of the by-products of pressure, particularly when things are not going well, is the urge to change and experiment. Sometimes we feel that we need to respond to the old adage about the definition of insanity being doing the same thing but expecting a different result.

Good organisations and good leaders know how to be patient. Success for most takes time and sometimes catastrophic failure in the spotlight is precisely the catalyst for you to show that you are willing to be patient.

One of the great messages that the current Wallabies Head Coach, Joe Schmidt, has been promulgating is reminding everyone that this is a long journey – he is telling us that he is willing to be patient and so should those watching.

2. Big Plays Create Big Energy

Choosing a 21 year old who has not played for his State before to make his international debut on this stage was perhaps one of the boldest decisions that has been made in the history of Australian rugby.

What happens when a leader shows a willingness to make a big play such as this?

It tells everyone that they have courage. It tells everyone that they are willing to back their own instincts. It also galvanises excitement and energy around that decision and nowhere more importantly than will be seen in other players.

There may not always be big plays available to a leader but sometimes a prominent strategic hire can be just the tonic to introduce a culture boost in an organisation.

3. Do not Sugarcoat Problems

If your organisation is struggling, do not pretend that it is not. As obvious as this might be, I am astounded by how many leaders feel compelled to “spin” a situation to make it seem like there really is no problem or that the problem is not as bad as what others are making it out to be.

This is very different to the necessary skill that only a minority of leaders have: the ability to articulate succinctly what is wrong, why it is wrong and what they are doing about it.

We talk a lot about pessimism and optimism, realism and fatalism. In business and leadership, these are more about personality than anything to do with effectiveness.

Honesty, transparency and communication efficiency need to be demonstrated by anyone who wants to be trusted as a leader.

4. Everyone has their Moment

It was both touching and inspiring to see so many players in this game play what was undoubtedly one of the best games of their professional lives. Is this a coincidence? Is this just because there was a new high-profile player in town and they wanted to prove a point?

I think not.

The reality is that having observed employed people in organisations for three decades it is an undebiable truth that everyone will have their moment.

Every person will have one period, year, month, day or game where they prove to their peers and everyone else what they are truly capable of delivering.

Organisations need to facilitate an environment where they not only create a space where that is achievable but importantly try to make this something where those individuals gain additional self-belief that when they do this once they can do it all the time.

5. Listen to your Lovers and your Haters

I respect self-help paradigms but have to confess I am not great at implementing guidance I find in these paradigms myself – it would be hypocritical of me to suggest I am somehow a self-help guru!

But I am acutely aware that we are often discouraged from paying too much attention to those who communicate in a manner that may bring us down. We listen or read things that make us feel angry because all we see is hateful criticism, often very personal and I can understand why many would tell us to disregard these sources.

However, for most who express these “negative” views, while it is perhaps disappointing that they are not being more constructive, the truth is it comes from a good space. I know that some of the most vocal critics of Australian rugby in the last few years are genuinely overjoyed by the results of this win. Such is their raw passion for wanting success.

In business, as in life, respecting balance is important. Knowing what we need to listen to but also knowing what we need to listen to more can take us a long way. Sometimes backing our counterintuitive instincts is the key.

So in closing, this win may or may not be the long-awaited turning point for rugby in Australia. While I hope it is, that is not the point of this article. Success in a moment (or the moment) needs to be celebrated .. and we can all learn from that.