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Brain Circuits
Three things sport can teach leaders
Olympians Matthijs Büchli and Susan Goldsworthy show how to apply principles from elite sport to achieve your leadership goals with less stress.
1. Manage yourself
Leaders often focus on their work, their company, and their people, while pushing their own needs to the bottom of the list – but this is unsustainable. Instead, put your own needs first.
- Carry out a personal cost-benefit analysis of how you work and live.
- Reflect on what truly matters (this might include work, time spent on hobbies or socializing, or more time with family).
- Manage your boundaries – reinforce what works for you and ditch what doesn’t.
2. Surround yourself with secure bases
Secure base coaching provides perspective, support, and challenge. It helps you uncover blind spots, stay connected to your values, and keep growing in ways that matter.
- Surround yourself with people who help you grow and perform over time.
- Delegate, so you know things will be handled well.
- Invest in the people around you – they are key to your long-term success.
3. Seek continuous evolution
In sport, improvement doesn’t just come from working hard. It comes from the right balance between training stress and recovery, from constant evolution, and, most importantly, from adaptation.
- Seek new growth stimuli – things you’re not yet good at. That’s when the learning curve steepens again – not because you’re working harder, but because you’re working differently.
- Take micro and macro breaks.
- Reflect and reset to start the next cycle stronger, smarter, and more self-aware.
Checklist for sustainable improvement
- Ask yourself the following questions to ensure continuous growth:
- Am I staying focused, disciplined, and consistent?
- Where am I “leaking” energy?
- What new stimuli am I introducing?
- Am I allowing myself the time and space to rest?
- Do I have a secure base team around me?
Key takeaway
For longevity, incorporate the five questions outlined above into your leadership approach to co-create the conditions to continue leading at the highest level.
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