
E200: Willie Anderson: Rugby, Leadership and His Battle with Alcoholism
Willie Anderson is a rugby coach, former Ireland rugby captain who earned 27 international caps, won a Five Nations Championship and Triple Crown, and famously stepped forward to face the All Blacks’ haka in 1989. But there is much more to his story than what happened on the rugby pitch. Willie shares how taking a flag during a rugby tour landed him in an Argentinian prison for 3 months. He speaks openly about alcoholism and recovery, including the letter from his son Thomas that helped him confront his drinking. He talks about the pressure to drink when you’re trying to stay sober and what being there for his family means to him now. Willie shares leadership lessons that go far beyond sport. He explains his 360 feedback approach, why a coach or business leader needs to hear uncomfortable truths, and how improving yourself can help your whole team improve. He also talks about his wife Heather’s support and his pride in his children, including fashion designer Jonathan Anderson. We hear how Jonathan and Chloe learned to work with their dyslexia, and why Willie believes effort matters more than talent, whether you’re building a career or chasing a place on a team. Links from Episode Willie Anderson’s Book Crossing The Line - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crossing-Line-Willie-Anderson/dp/1914197151 Brought to you in partnership with… McKeever Hotels: You can purchase gift vouchers here - https://mckeeverhotels.com/ ProfileTree: A Belfast web design, SEO, video and AI agency, founded by Ciaran Connolly in 2011, that helps businesses across Northern Ireland, Ireland and the UK get found online. Ciaran speaks and trains regularly on practical AI for business, and the team now works on AI SEO, which means checking and fixing whether a business shows up when a customer asks ChatGPT or Google's AI for a recommendation. FREE AI Visibility Check https://profiletree.com/ai-seo/


















