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Former Springbok captain Bob Skinstad, now a Partner at Elixirr, on the new rules of leadership in an AI-powered world. Recorded live on 17 September 2026, sponsored by FDC. We start in Baltimore and how Rassie Erasmus built a squad with three teams' worth of depth: battle stats, combinations that play together, and letting the players pick the bomb squad themselves. Then Bob's move from rugby into Saatchi & Saatchi, Knife Capital and Elixirr. We cover how a challenger consultancy wins business through sport and LinkedIn, and why most firms have an AI absorption problem, not an AI value problem. CHAPTERS 0:00 Welcome 0:23 About FDC, the series sponsor 1:35 Bob Skinstad joins 1:45 The Springboks in Baltimore 3:28 How South Africa built three world-class teams 3:54 Rassie Erasmus and long-term planning 5:19 Culture: the Monday training rule 6:20 Using data to pick players 7:20 Battle stats and Siya Kolisi's hidden value 8:43 Why Kwagga Smith makes the team 9:29 Why combinations that play together win 11:11 Innovation from experienced leaders 13:09 From rugby to business 14:01 Missing the 2003 World Cup and walking away 15:13 Joining Saatchi & Saatchi 15:40 South Africa's first professional contract 18:12 Should everyone have a side hustle? 20:04 The biggest decisions 20:44 The comeback: Sharks and Springboks 22:09 Venture capital at Knife Capital 22:25 Joining Elixirr 24:21 How consultancies sell and differentiate 25:46 What makes Elixirr successful 28:38 Built for speed, hired for excellence 31:02 How Elixirr wins new business 32:16 Sales and marketing go hand in hand 33:38 Sport sponsorship as a sales platform 34:49 Why Bob went all in on LinkedIn 36:59 Client summits 38:14 Networks, trust and authenticity 39:42 Is AI changing sales and consulting? 40:30 Why companies are cutting AI spend 42:49 LinkedIn versus X for business 44:57 Elixirr in South Africa and Africa 46:10 Why in person still matters 46:36 What clients get right and wrong with AI 47:17 An absorption problem, not a value problem 48:48 AI sales efficiency: a case study 50:11 Sport versus business: goals and purpose 51:55 Elixirr's partner-owned model 54:14 The no-jerks policy 55:20 The bomb squad: players decide 56:42 Experimentation and failing fast 57:59 Lessons from Sequoia and Knife Capital 1:00:06 Thanks, and next up: John Sanei GET IN TOUCH WITH BOB Message Bob on LinkedIn and mention the interview with Colin. He's happy to chat about Elixirr, his journey, or how he's built his presence on LinkedIn.   / bob-skinstad   ABOUT FDC, THE SPONSOR For tailored recommendations on how to build greater influence and attract new opportunities, like Bob and hundreds of other leaders FDC have helped. Book a consultation and review with Jacques, Head of Partnerships: https://calendar.app.google/85u8AtwYq... Or take their LinkedIn Influence Assessment: https://linkedin-influence.scoreapp.com/ More interviews: https://colinilesmedia.com