You might have seen our recent campaign, which draws on the parallels between CEOs and professional athletes. If not, you can check it out here. Since its launch, both the sports and business domains, and their synergies, have become front of mind for us at Elixirr. While the overlap between the two worlds is by no means a new comparison, the more widely we spoke on it, the more it became clear that our firm of entrepreneurs truly walk this talk. So, we held a mirror to our people to delve a bit deeper.
Across the board, from our senior leadership team to our associate general counsel, operations and consulting teams, many of our people had one thing in common: they were high performers in sports. We spoke to them to understand exactly why sport so often fosters successful business people and to hear their takeaways first-hand.
“Success in business requires more than straight As – it takes a certain kind of ambition, commitment, passion and belief. Playing sports is certainly a catalyst for that.”
One thing’s for sure, their insight proves that success in business isn’t contingent on straight As – it takes a certain kind of ambition, commitment, sacrifice and belief to go far. And playing sports is certainly a catalyst for that.
Read on for their wisdom.
1. “Discipline and grit underpin it all”
Portia Thornhill, Associate General Counsel – Running & lacrosse:
Playing sport at a high level requires true grit and dedication – an inner persistence and commitment to the game. Yes, some people are naturally better at sports than others, but that’s not to say, without commitment and resilience, that not everyone can be great.
Lewis Raboy, Analyst – Golf:
The thing with discipline is that those who have it apply it to everything they do. Taking that shot is the result of so many hours of focus, practice, and commitment to improve. I am never just playing golf – each time I pick up my club I’m making a conscious decision to improve. This kind of work ethic will always hold constant, no matter what I do. I grind because I have full belief in my vision and goals.
Dorian Isaacson, Consultant – Swimming:
While the race takes seconds, years of preparation go into it. Hundreds of hours of putting in the necessary work in order to achieve that goal. To get into the pool when you’re exhausted and cold – because for me, when I identify a goal, I apply my all to it.
Emma Windsor, Head of Marketing – Tennis:
Sport instilled in me a work ethic that has underpinned all aspects of my life. In order to play at a high level at university, my attendance and grades also had to stay up. That required a huge level of commitment to be performing at 100% in everything I did – but it helped me set and achieve big goals for myself. Whether on or off court, I was always striving to put in the hours to get to the next level, because I both had to and wanted to.
2. “Failure and setbacks are inevitable – it’s how you process them”
Catherine Long, Manager – Rowing & netball:
Sport teaches you to live and breathe a “go again” attitude. That’s tied up in the discipline of it all. Take the learnings from setbacks, pick yourself up, train harder, listen to your team and coach, and try again. It’s this kind of resilience and persistence that leads to success. And that plays into how we approach client problems. Test, learn, iterate and try again.
Lewis:
For me, failure manifested predominantly in injury. And this gave me an easy route out – to give up. But something sport has taught me is to truly make the most of any situation, to pivot and find a new outcome. So, I got involved in the game in other ways, instead working for club manufacturing companies, supporting on the biggest golf tours and with events. I kept up my love and passion and learnt a tremendous amount about the game without playing. It’s important to remember that nothing is guaranteed with sport. You can put all the work in, and you still might fail. But it’s in those moments that you must maintain emotional intelligence and see the bigger picture. Visualise the next win.
Emma:
Michael Jordan famously said, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career… and lost almost 300 games”. You must have mental resilience because you lose so much more than you win. But it’s being ok with that – and knowing that you can pivot, adapt and pick yourself up again. And that helps me day-to-day – if my team and I are willing to understand why we failed and recognize what we can improve on, we’re moving forward.
Gaurav Hans, Analyst – Hockey, football & squash:
I didn’t make my county team the first time – a major knock. And I’ve been seriously injured which has set me back. But you’ve got to commit to the bigger picture and keep pushing. And part of that for me was showing up for the team – I still went to training even if I couldn’t play. Because each team member sets a precedent for the next. And when you’re back in the game and someone else is out, you need to see that same support and commitment.
3. “Develop a strategy and visualise your goal”
Lara Kottsieper, Manager – Skiing:
Skiing is nothing without team tactics. You ski the course, map out the turns, prepare, react, get in the zone. This kind of tactical visualisation and focus on the end goal means each turn is done with intent. For me, strategising isn’t something I can turn on in one area and off in another. Sport has taught me to be nimble, prepared and to anticipate all outcomes. To look holistically and take a step back in order to focus on the thing that’s so close.
Portia:
Team sports require a strategic mindset – everyone falls into place and every scenario and outcome is tested. You play out all eventualities, so you’re not thrown by them on the pitch, and that applies to business. You don’t turn up to a presentation without being prepared. You don’t pitch a new idea without understanding the exact and specific value that delivers for your team or company. It’s much the same when playing a game.
James Tapper, Manager – Cricket:
Strategy is key, because if you don’t have a game plan, it can’t be a surprise when you lose. You can’t rush preparation. You’ve got to trust in the long-term investment you’re putting into yourself, so when you do step up to bat, you’ve given yourself the utmost chance to succeed. And that’s a work ethic that becomes a way of life – you’ve got to be self-motivated, and you’ve got to constantly work at that strategy. But it’s also important to remember that if you fail, you take that pressure and pain and channel it into your next game plan. Visualisation can help with that, because it’s the belief in the bigger picture – knowledge that you lost this time but will win another because you chose to improve.
4. “Become a team leader and a team player”
Portia:
Teamwork is everything, and this requires deep connection with and commitment to one another. Showing up for the people beside you, understanding their individual strengths and raising your game to match theirs. You work to the strongest strength but are pulled down to the weakest weakness. So, you keep each other accountable and focused around that common goal.
Lara:
I put my all into my sport because of the relationships I built up with my teammates. You want to show up for them more than yourself – and that’s the same with my team at Elixirr. Not only does that help with performance, but it enables you to be a well-rounded individual – striking the balance between working and playing hard. Having that ability to do both is crucial to achieving outcomes in sport and business, mastering both the hard and soft skills.
Sophie Quinn, Consultant – Long jump and triple jump:
Working in a team brings a whole host of life experiences, attitudes and ways of working – you learn to look beyond your individual perspective, and that open-mindedness is what enables the best outcomes.
Catherine:
Playing sport at a high level means you’re surrounded by aspirational people – and that culture underpins our firm too. We want to be the best for our clients, and this mindset unites and rallies us.
James:
Sport gives you an understanding of what different people need. It teaches you to balance your communication to ensure everyone feels they are in the optimum position to perform – that could be psyching someone up or offering a teammate pastoral support. Everyone is trying to achieve the same thing, so when leading a team, you’ve got to understand people’s nuances. And that’s the same with clients – really listening to their issues and ensuring your answer validates them and works to solve their challenge.
To the Challengers, we see you. Because we are you.
Watch this space for more lessons from our team…
Lessons from:
Associate General Counsel, Portia Thornhill, represented Durham University for Lacrosse and Tennis and in addition runs marathons.
Consultant, Dorian Isaacson’s background is in swimming. He’s represented South Africa internationally and holds SA records for butterfly freestyle.
Manager, Lara Kottsieper, grew up in Germany, which meant she spent most weekends on the mountains. As a result, she was a competitive skier at the University of Bristol.
Analyst, Lewis Raboy, took up golf in his senior year and before he knew it, went on to captain his team at the University of Rochester.
Manager, Catherine Long, has played sports since she was small and has tried her hand at most. From representing the Midlands and the University of Bath at netball, to rowing at Henley, she’s excelled across the board.
Consultant, Sophie Quinn, pursued her love for athletics, competing on behalf of Loughborough University, regionally and nationally, for long jump and triple jump.
Manager, James Tapper, initially set his sights on playing cricket for New Zealand, having represented his county.
Head of Marketing, Emma Windsor, has played high-level tennis from aged 14, having taken part in numerous international competitions. She received a full tennis scholarship to university in the States.
Analyst, Gaurav Hans, has represented his county for both squash and hockey and played college football. He played for the Durham University Hockey team.
The post Get in the game: business lessons from the sports world appeared first on Elixirr US.
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