I walked past Roy Keane the other day.
“Howya”, I said.
He looked at me, that famous glare…but with a glint of mischief included.
“Alright!” he replied, with an acknowledging head nod and an expression that said “ya, pretty good actually”.
But it sounded like “All Roy” which made me laugh.
Because when Roy was on stage, it was All Roy.
We were both at a conference called Up Your Game. He was headlining with Dan Carter, the great All Black. The rest of the panelists and interviewees were all sporting legends too, an incredible line up.
I missed a few at the start but I still got to hear from Derval O’Rourke (wow!), Martin Johson, Ruud Gullit and Annalise Murphy before our headliners.
Back to Roy, cos this newsletter is All Roy.
Roy was asked what he picked up from the great managers he played under. He shared a story about one…
Brian Clough’s instruction before Roy’s debut for Notts Forest at Anfield.
- Control the ball.
- Pass it.
- Move.
That was it.
No tactical dissertation. No emotional build-up. No whiteboard.
Clough kept it simple.
Dan Carter echoed the same thing in a different way.
When the All Blacks would train school kids on their community days out, the kids’ coaches might suggest showing something flashy. Something advanced.
Instead, the players would line up and walk.
- Catch.
- Straighten.
- Pass.
Again, the kids’ coaches would suggest something to wow the kids.
“This is what we do mate”, Dan explained.
Get the foundations right. Then do them faster. Then do them under pressure.
It struck me how consistent that message was across the entire conference.
Elite sport. Elite pressure. Global stages.
And the answer is not complexity.
It’s simplicity.
We see the same pattern in business.
When targets are missed. When markets tighten. When scrutiny increases.
Leaders often add.
More metrics. More meetings. More strategy decks.
But pressure doesn’t usually demand more complexity. It demands better fundamentals.
At TRIPS Tank, we come back to the same sequence again and again.
Be.
Do.
Have.
Who are you being under pressure?
- Calm. Clear. Accountable. Curious.
That drives what you do.
- Clear priorities. Honest conversations. Tight execution. Distributed ownership.
And only then do you get what you want to have.
- Results. Growth. Momentum.
When leaders reverse that order and obsess over the outcome first, the system tightens. Teams play not to lose. Energy drops.
But when identity and fundamentals are solid, performance becomes repeatable.
Control the ball.
Pass it.
Move.
Simple.
Not easy.
Under pressure this week, what are your fundamentals?