Wesley College

1,936 pages read and 257 team points

Team members

HB

368 pts

(368 pages read)

Not Everything Counts but Everything Matters

By Ivan Cleary

5 stars

Having just finished the audiobook How Connection and Courage Teach Us to Win, I’m struck by how profoundly it transcends the world of rugby league.There’s an authentic, grounded wisdom that comes through, making his incredible journey with the Penrith Panthers feel relatable. He doesn’t just lecture about leadership; he unfolds it through fascinating, behind-the-scenes stories, from the gut-wrenching low of the 2020 Grand Final loss to the historic highs of the three-peat. You feel the weight of decisions, the tension in crucial moments, and the collective joy of hard-earned triumph. His central philosophy, that “not everything counts, but everything matters,” is brilliantly illustrated throughout. It’s a powerful mindset shift that anyone can apply: don’t be defined by a single failure (it doesn’t count against your character), but invest fully in every small act of preparation and connection (because it all matters to the long-term goal). The insights on fostering genuine connection within a wildly diverse team and finding the courage to persevere through public scrutiny and private doubt are universally valuable. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on building the team's culture. The anecdotes about integrating young local talents with established stars, and the unique, respectful dynamic with his son and co-captain, Nathan, are filled with practical lessons on mentorship, humility, and shared purpose

9 - 0 - 1

Add pages read

Wesley College

1,936 pages read and 257 team points

Team members

Scat Cat Nat

Ana

CherieR

HB

BE

BobtheslowReader

KTC

Tapfi

Woodsy

HB

Not Everything Counts but Everything Matters

Wesley College

1,936 pages read and 257 team points

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78