Michael Ede, entrepreneur, football agent, MD/CEO of Uplift11 Sportone of the fastest growing sports management agencies in the UK.
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The link between sports and business success goes back many years. In more recent studies, researchers note that women benefit just as much (if not more) than their male counterparts from deep immersion in life on the playing field. The environment of cooperative competition requires specific characteristics to grow within each athlete. These skills, instincts and drives are all carried over to the business arena.
Disciplined Flexibility
Signing up for a sport, even if it’s a pub competition, is a commitment to yourself and your team. The proof of your commitment is discipline. When you work diligently to hone your skills and bring out the best in your teammates, you create strength and resilience in those around you. And when your team concedes a goal, that discipline is the only thing that allows you to take one back.
Of course life on the field, track or in the ring is different than on the training field. It’s unpredictable. You never know what the opposition has in store, and every leader needs to temper his discipline with flexibility. Think of your favorite athlete – Jordan, Bergkamp, ​​​​Lomachenko. They may train harder and longer than anyone else, but the moment something unexpected happens, they have the creativity to innovate something new.
Likewise, business leaders need a steady hand. The tenacity and discipline of sports can give entrepreneurs the resilience they need to work long hours and make tough decisions. Every business needs hard work day in and day out to succeed, and the discipline to develop and execute a plan is one of the hallmarks of a good business leader.
Doing business is unpredictable and often defies expectations. Great entrepreneurs are not burdened by their discipline. Like the star athlete, they know when to change plans on the spot to take advantage of a split-second opportunity. This skill might be like finding a way to get an entire business online when a pandemic shuts the world down. Or it may be an outdated business model to account for the development of technologies. Whatever it is, a business leader needs the discipline and creativity that sport instills in us.
Every sport is a team sport; Every company is a collaboration
Sports is all about teamwork, even individual sports. In fact, Roger Federer attributes much of his success to his training team. In a sense, all sports victories are team victories. The camaraderie that develops during training and through the shared experiences of victory and defeat makes athletes feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves. They learn to adapt their skills to the rest of the team.
The ability to navigate a team dynamic and get the most out of every member is crucial for a business leader. They need to build team spirit and effectively manage everyone’s skills to ensure the company achieves its goals. Promising entrepreneurs, such as athletes, learn to understand and respect their teammates. Even if the CEO or founder is a superstar like Federer, they rely on the talent of others to help them succeed.
Leaders are responsible for teammates
Teams rely on their athletes, especially the captains and starting players. Unprofessional behavior like missing practice or showing up late for games drags the whole team down. But just showing up isn’t enough. To succeed in athletics, you need to be fully present and mentally focused. As a leader, you have to show everyone that you are fully invested in their success.
The workplace is subject to the same conditions. The board and your team depend on you to keep everything running smoothly. Therefore, you must be accountable to every stakeholder. Don’t just show up and leave early for a lunch of three martinis. Be present, focused and invested.
Don’t take anything for granted: success and failure are opportunities for growth
Every sports career has its share of wins and losses. Dealing with both results enhances humility and character. So you have been victorious in a game. This is amazing. But what can you improve? What mistakes have you made? What do you want to make sure you do again in the next game? Major sports teams never take their success for granted and even dissect their winning achievements. This tendency is common among superstars in the NFL.
Humility is a virtue for any business leader. You can help your team achieve its goals by evaluating everything: achievements and failures. Even when a project is a success, you look for ways to squeeze out more efficiency and never take your success for granted.
Sports values ​​make for great leaders and teammates
It’s no surprise that the work’s Ronaldos and Musks spark similar admiration (and sometimes controversy). Despite their physical differences, their attitude, tenacity and willingness to improve come in handy. Business leaders can learn a lot from the mental and emotional lessons of sport. And while these lessons will improve their own performance and earn accolades, the real magic is how they can instill these values ​​in others and get the best performance out of their teams.
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