Sweeping the Sheds
How True Service Defines Us
“A successful team is a group of many hands and one mind.”
- Bill Bethel
Sweeping the Sheds
Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life
Tomorrow is Memorial Day. While many of us will fire up the grill and enjoy time with family, this day carries a deeper meaning—one that reminds us of the ultimate expression of service and sacrifice.
Memorial Day is a good time to think about what true service looks like, and as the USA women’s rugby team took on the New Zealand Black Ferns, it brought me back to an inspiring tradition of the All Blacks rugby team.
The All Blacks represent excellence, discipline, and unwavering commitment to something greater than individual glory. Their iconic black uniforms are recognized worldwide, yet it’s what happens after the game ends that reveals their true character.
After every game—win or lose, home or away—two senior players take brooms and sweep the locker room clean.
Sweeping the sheds.
Doing it properly.
So no one else has to.
Because no one looks after the All Blacks.
The All Blacks look after themselves.
Think about that. Two of the most tenured players, sweeping the locker room after each game. It is about more than cleaning up after themselves. It’s about mana—the Māori concept that represents the ultimate goal of human existence through humility and strong character.
The All Blacks have built their legendary status on a simple belief: a collection of talented individuals without personal discipline will ultimately and inevitably fail. Character triumphs over talent, every single time.
The All Blacks team culture is summed up in one profound phrase: “Better people make better All Blacks.”
Whether on a team, in an organization, or in life, we must “leave the jersey in a better place” than we found it.
This tradition embodies the spirit of those we honor this weekend. Our fallen heroes understood what it meant to sweep the sheds on the ultimate stage.
They didn’t serve because someone was watching or because it would bring them recognition. They served because someone had to do the work—the hard, dangerous, often invisible work of protecting our freedoms and way of life.
Our service members take on responsibilities others can’t or won’t carry. They embody mana in its purest form—serving with humility and strength of character, not for glory, but because it is right. Because we need them.
In our lives, when do we sweep the sheds? When do we take care of the tasks that don’t appear in our job descriptions, handle the unglamorous work that keeps our teams functioning, or serve others in ways that won’t make headlines?
True leaders understand that mana is more than a title on a business card—it’s about being willing to pick up the broom when no one is looking. The most powerful service often happens in the shadows. The All Blacks sweep their sheds but because it’s part of who they are. Our military and service heroes make their sacrifices because they understand their duty to something greater than themselves. All of us.
Both understood a fundamental truth: excellence isn’t just about what you do when everyone’s watching—it’s about who you are when no one is.
We face our own shed-sweeping moments every day. Will you pick up the broom?
This Memorial Day, let’s honor those who sacrificed for us by sweeping the sheds—in our teams, businesses, communities, and daily lives. Because true leadership, like true service, happens in the quiet moments when character matters most.
Better people make better teammates.
Better people make better leaders.
Better people make better Americans.
What sheds will you sweep? What jersey are you leaving in a better place?
“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”
- John Wooden
Connecting this quote to the story. True character—like the humility and responsibility shown by the All Blacks traditions—is not about seeking recognition or applause, but about consistently doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
Chasing Influence tip: Leadership is about leaving a place, a team, or a situation in better condition than you found it, regardless of the recognition.
If you enjoyed this story, a series of three Chasing Influence workbooks is available. Stories are accompanied by discussion questions and answers. Each workbook contains 33 lessons to use with any team.
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©Troy Urdahl, 2025