Former Australia captain Meg Lanning says retiring from international cricket has helped her become a more understanding and caring leader. The Australian great admitted that she has learned important lessons about leadership, teamwork and building relationships since stepping away from the national team.
Lanning, who retired from international cricket in November 2023, spoke about how her leadership style has changed during an appearance on the Wisden Women’s Cricket Weekly podcast.
One of the greatest captains in the history of women’s cricket, Lanning led Australia through one of the most successful periods the game has ever seen. Under her captaincy, Australia won four ICC Women’s T20 World Cups, one ICC Women’s ODI World Cup and a Commonwealth Games gold medal, becoming one of the most successful teams in world sport.
Throughout her career, Lanning was known for staying calm under pressure, making smart decisions and always finding ways to win. However, she admitted that understanding the emotions and feelings of others was something she struggled with earlier in her career.
“I always used to do like 360-degree reviews and stuff like that on your personality, and I was always very low on empathy,” Lanning said.
She explained that as she gained more experience, she slowly became better at understanding different situations and supporting people around her. She also realised that leadership is not only about making decisions on the field but also about creating a positive environment for everyone in the team.
After Australia’s Women’s T20 World Cup victory in 2023, Lanning took a break from cricket before announcing her retirement later that year. She later revealed that she had been dealing with mental health challenges privately during that period.
Looking back, Lanning believes becoming more open with the people around her has made a big difference in her life.
“I think you sort of work out that if you can be a little bit more open and honest and upfront and actually around things that aren’t going well or you haven’t done as well as you would have liked, then I think that that sort of opens the door a little bit more and it just helps to sort of build those connections and relationships a little bit better, which I think is where sort of like that empathy sort of grows from.”
She said being honest about difficult moments helped her build stronger relationships with teammates and those around her. Instead of trying to handle everything on her own, she learned that sharing experiences can make people feel more connected and supported.
Since retiring from international cricket, Lanning has continued to play franchise cricket around the world. She has become one of the most experienced players in women’s T20 leagues and is set to captain Manchester Super Giants in this year’s The Hundred.
Playing in different teams has also helped her see leadership from a new point of view. She now believes that trusting teammates and sharing responsibilities makes a team stronger.
“I think one of my strengths is actually being open to delegating and letting other people help out rather than feeling like I need to do everything,” Lanning said.
She explained that when players are given responsibility, they feel more involved in the team’s plans and become more committed to achieving success together. According to Lanning, this creates a better team environment and helps everyone perform at their best.
Lanning’s comments show how much she has grown both as a leader and as a person since leaving international cricket. While she remains one of Australia’s greatest-ever captains, she now believes that leadership is about much more than winning trophies. Listening to teammates, understanding their situations and allowing others to take responsibility are qualities she values much more today.
Even after retiring from international cricket, Lanning continues to influence the women’s game. Through her franchise career and leadership experience, she remains an important role model for young cricketers around the world, proving that great leaders continue to learn and grow throughout their careers.
(Inputs sourced from Wisden)
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