Companies can learn a massive amount from elite sports in terms of spotting and nurturing the talent required to build highly effective teams. Having an adaptable, flexible, and self-aware mindset is critical in these disruptive times, and professional sports have coaching models that can help leaders develop this mindset in their teams.
I was lucky enough to speak to former England Cricket Captain Sir Andrew Strauss at the recent Transform conference in Las Vegas. After his playing career finished, Andrew ran elite cricket in the UK for four years. He is now the co-founder of Mindflick, a high-performance coaching business that uses psychology and technology to make the lessons from elite sports accessible to companies.
In the interview, we discuss:
- What can elite sports teach business about leadership?
- Learning how to be adaptable in dynamic environments
- The importance of self-awareness
- Understanding how teams react under pressure
- What makes top talent
- Understanding and accepting weaknesses
- The role of technology
- Getting buy-in and building an emotional connection with a group vision