It's a question that has intrigued me for years.
Can the frameworks that propel teams to victory in sport be effectively applied in business?
My scepticism stems from three main observations: In sports, objectives are clear-cut, timelines are finite, and stakeholders—coaches, players, fans, and sponsors-share a unified goal.Â
To win.
Business, on the other hand, is a different ball game entirely, as most organisations are incentivised to chase profits, not win games.
And when money is at play, building consensus becomes nigh on impossible as staff want to be paid more, customers want to pay less and shareholders want to increase their wealth. Add in the opposing forces of regulators, tax collectors and various other interest groups, and you have a recipe for chaos, not consensus.
So, against this backdrop, is it really possible to apply the leadership strategies that work in sports to the boardroom?
I have my opinions, but as I have never lifted a World Cup, they are hardly founded on experience.
One person who doesn’t have this problem, though, is Bryan Habana.
Bryan was a member of South Africa’s 2007 Rugby World Cup winning team and is viewed by many to be one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
He is also the co-founder and Head of Growth for the early wage access fintech, Paymenow.
Which makes him the perfect person to ask what business can really learn from sport.
This is exactly what I’ll be doing online on the 28th of February at 13:00 CAT.
And as one of my newsletter readers, you are, of course, invited!
(Click here to register)
Whether you want to learn how to excel in sports or business, this session will offer unique insights into both.
As I prepare for what promises to be a captivating interview, I already have one regret.
Why did I agree to limit the conversation to just one hour?
See you soon,
Col
p.s. if you have questions or themes you want to cover please share back in the comments section.