3 Leadership and Management Skills That Sports Teach You

There’s more to sport than being competitive. There are common elements that are necessary when it comes to both business and sports for teams to be effective.

In both cases, groups need to work together as a team, communicate effectively to identify opportunities, and be flexible to change the strategy when needed.

Sport also teaches us to prioritize, to be self-disciplined and that to improve our game, we must learn lessons from our performance.

1: Self Discipline

When you step onto the golf course, it’s hard to predict what the course conditions are going to be like and if your golf swing is going to work in your favor. Whether your swing is working for you or against you, it’ll have an impact on your overall performance.

The same can be said for when you arrive at work every day. You just don’t know what the day is going to have in store. Talent management can be extremely rewarding, but it has its heartbreaking moments too.

It’s in these moments that it feels like the odds are stacked against you, and can be tempting to give up.

In a game of golf, it may just take one great shot to get you back in the game. It takes self-discipline to refocus, to look for the opportunity and to accept that not every hole is going to go your way. Sometimes the best thing to do is step back and look at the pin/problem from a different point of view.

2: Communicate

Soccer, football and basketball are sports that need each team member and the coach to communicate effectively to win the game. Changes to the strategy of the game need to be given to the team by the coach, with each member knowing what they need to do.

The team members need to communicate with each other to create opportunities that will lead to the team goals being achieved. In business, collaboration and communication between teams is vital, as this helps to accomplish tasks effectively, adapting business strategy quickly if needed while helping to minimise the risks.

Both sports teams and business teams have goals that need to be achieved. You’ll celebrate the milestones, but remain focused on the end result when great communication is in place.

3: Teamwork

From hockey to baseball, you’ll see that teamwork helps each team member to play to their own strengths and leverage off the strengths of their teammates to achieve a common goal.

In business, when teams work together, new ideas are generated, knowledge is transferred between the colleagues and they’re all driven to achieve a common goal.

Both in sport and business, teams that work well together know that their work is valued and that each of them contributed to a successful result as they all have something unique to offer.

Conclusion

Some days it may feel like you’re knee-deep in a bunker trying to chip your way out with a sand wedge. Other days, it may feel like you have the wind at your back and everything is great.

Sports and business overlap and in both we can learn to identify the opportunities, adjust our strategies and work together to achieve great things.