Okay, that’s exaggerated.
Of course they can.
But probably not what they are usually told to learn.
I’ve worked in elite sport for more than 30 years. And one thing athletes can become incredibly good at is looking fine on the outside even when things feel very different on the inside.
They compete under enormous pressure, smile for the cameras, give interviews afterwards and appear completely in control.
Sometimes you only find out many years later what was really going on behind that image.
In sport, that ability can be functional. At some point, the competition starts. Then the athlete has to perform.
But I’m not sure that’s exactly what we should be teaching leaders.
A company is not a stadium.
Employees are not opponents.
And leadership is not a 90-minute final.
What looks like mental strength from the outside can sometimes simply be the ability to hide very well what is happening on the inside.
And there is another difference that is often overlooked: elite athletes are public figures. Their public image can be part of their economic value. Sponsors, media and social media reinforce certain stories.
For most leaders, the situation is completely different.
So when someone says:
“Leaders should think more like elite athletes.”
My first question would be:
Which part exactly?
There is a lot leaders can learn from elite sport about preparation, pressure, recovery and performance.
But copying the visible behaviour of successful athletes is probably one of the less interesting lessons.
What do you think leaders can actually learn from elite athletes?
Hey, I’m Frank, Head of Mental Data and Performance at Sixpack Mind AI.
Follow me if you want to understand what people and leaders can really learn from elite sport about performance under pressure.