The Untold Story Behind the Ryder Cup’s Comeback Using Owen Eastwood’s Belonging Blueprint

Every human craves four things.

• Purpose (why we’re here)

• Autonomy (freedom to make decisions)

• Mastery (getting better)

• Belonging (feeling accepted, valued, connected)

The last one (belonging) is the secret weapon of elite teams.

A Google study (Project Aristotle) found that psychological safety, a fancy term for belonging, was the #1 predictor of team success.

• Not talent.

• Not experience.

• Not resources.

Belonging wins.

The data from Gallup & BetterUp back up the need for “belonging” in your team:

• 27% lower turnover

• 40% fewer safety incidents

• 75% fewer sick days

• 12% higher productivity

• 56% higher job performance

Belonging turns “just doing the job” into “giving it everything you’ve got.”

Today, I’ll show you how the best teams in the world engineer belonging at every stage of the team lifecycle.

The Belonging Whisperer

Ever heard of Owen Eastwood? Probably not.

But you’ve most likely seen the output of his work:

• England Football

• The Ryder Cup Team

• South Africa Cricket

• The Royal Ballet

• NATO

Eastwood’s book Belonging is a blueprint for building world-class teams.

His big idea?

It’s not just theory.

Eastwood’s been inside the locker rooms, the war rooms, the dance studios.

He’s seen what works and what doesn’t.

So today I’ve broken down the tactics he used to turnaround the performance of three teams where he transformed their performance from mediocre to world-class👇

1) England Men’s Football Team

England’s “Golden Generation” was loaded with talent. Still… no finals, no trophies.

Why?

No psychological safety. No belonging.

Eastwood introduced the Māori concept of whakapapa, meaning you’re part of an unbroken chain.

The shirt isn’t yours. You’re a guardian for the next generation.

He shifted the story from pressure → pride.

The Results:

• 2018: England’s first World Cup semi-final in 28 years

• 2021: Euro Final (their first major tournament final since 1966)

• 2024: Reached a consecutive Euro Final

Focusing on what you can do for the team promotes a high-performing culture.

At Netflix, they replicate something similar with this one rule:

No time clocks.

No vacation policy.

No travel approval.

Just what is best for the team.

• Trust = freedom

• Belonging = autonomy + trust

What you could do:

• Build a shared team story that makes every person feel part of something bigger than themselves.

• The shared team narrative should connect past achievements, current goals, and future aspirations.

2) South African Cricket Team (The Proteas)

Post-apartheid, the team was divided by race, history and identity.

The jersey wasn’t unifying; it was a reminder of pain.

Eastwood’s fix?

• He redefined their identity, transitioning from the Springboks to the Proteas to represent a unified nation.

• He introduced the African philosophy of Ubuntu, emphasising shared humanity and interconnectedness, to strengthen team bonds.

Players stood in a circle. Looked each other in the eye. Acknowledged:

• Your success = My success.

• Your pain = My pain.

The team leaders went first to model vulnerability through honest reflection, admitting mistakes, and sharing fears.

Teams follows when they see it’s safe.

The Results:

• The Proteas became world No. 1 in all three formats: Tests, ODIs, T20s.

The best leaders talk with the language:

• “We, us or our”

• Never “I, me, or my”

It’s not “my team,” it’s “our mission”.

Language shapes identity.

Another method that elite teams do is create a shared enemy.

Not a person, but a problem.

For the 49ers, coach Bill Walsh focused on the belief that “West Coast football” couldn’t win.

Shared struggle → shared identity → belonging.

Phil Jackson (coach of the Chicago Bulls & LA Lakers) also leant into this train of thought and took it one step further by creating:

“Never Again Pacts”

After a tough loss, Phil Jackson had players write down:

• What hurt the most?

• What would you do differently next time?

Sharing pain → shared mission to never feel that way again.

It builds emotional connection and collective resilience.

What you could do:

• Build a shared identity - belonging builds when everyone contributes, no matter the role.

• Embrace and celebrate the diverse backgrounds within your team.

• Define the shared struggle or enemy that you can use as motivation.

3) European Ryder Cup Team

They were a team of individual superstars from different countries, struggling to win the infamous trophy from their US competitors.

No shared language, no shared history - just a logo on a polo shirt.

Eastwood’s move when he started working with the team?

He transformed the locker room into a living museum.

• Every past player’s name etched on the walls.

• Seve Ballesteros’s bag in the corner - a reminder of the magic he brought.

• Lockers with personal inscriptions in each player’s own language.

The message? You belong here. This is your time.

The Results:

• 2023: Europe takes back the Ryder Cup in dominant style.

• Players said the locker room felt like “coming home.”

Joe Madden (MLB Manger at the Cubs) also decorated their locker room and offices with items that told the story of the team (photos, quotes, memorabilia).

Belonging isn’t just words. It’s felt in the environment.

What you could do:

• Don’t just design a workspace, design an environment that tells your team’s story where every person feels they belong.

• Create rituals and symbols that honour your team’s history and achievements and remind people: “You matter here.”

• Personalise team environments to reflect individual contributions and collective identity.

Your Challenge This Week

Below is a punchy list of the most powerful, practical things elite businesses and high-performing teams do to build belonging at every stage of the employee lifecycle.

Choose 1x thing you can introduce to your team from each section:

Before They Join

1. Share your team story on your website and socials.

2. Involve current team members in interviews.

3. Send a welcome video from the founder.

4. Share your “what we stand for” doc before contracts are signed.

5. Let candidates shadow a team meeting.

Onboarding

1. Pair new hires with a buddy.

2. Celebrate their “First Day” in style.

3. Share the team’s origin story.

4. Ask new hires to share their story.

5. Give them a quick-win project in week one.

While They’re With You

1. Host team storytelling sessions.

2. Celebrate wins (even the small ones).

3. Build rituals (shoutouts, huddles, end-of-project parties).

4. Model vulnerability. Leaders go first.

5. Personalise spaces (photos, names, wins).

6. Revisit the mission regularly.

When They’re Leaving

1. Throw a proper send-off.

2. Write them a personal thank you letter.

3. Invite them into alumni spaces.

4. Ask for their advice and learnings.

5. Capture their story in a doc or video.

Boomerang Hires

1. Celebrate their return loudly.

2. Ask them to share fresh perspectives.

3. Show they always belong.

4. Share their return as a culture case study.

The best teams don’t just hire great talent.

They build belonging.

It’s what turns groups of people into a family that fights for each other and wins.

Hit reply to this email and let me know which idea resonated the most 🤝

MY TOP FINDS OF THE WEEK 🏆

For Your Performance

• Why having a spider plant where you work is essential if you don’t want to get sick (Link)

For Your Team

• Ole Mis Rebels women’s basketball team has the best quote I’ve ever heard when it comes to overcoming obstacles (Link)

For Your Health

• Ronaldo spends £1m/year on his health - here are the 8 habits he consistently does to reach elite performance (Link)