6 Leadership Lessons Business Executives Can Learn from Elite Athletes

I spent 22 years coaching elite women’s rugby while at the same time building my consulting and executive coaching careers. I coached the USA Women’s Rugby Team at two World Cups and at the Rio Olympics, and won 11 National Championships with the Penn State Women, MARFU Men, and Temple Women.?

But for many years before Leadership Shock was published, I almost never talked about my rugby coaching career with my clients. Even executive coaching clients I had worked with for 10 years didn’t know about my rugby coaching background!?

I always felt like it was the players’ journey, not mine—I was just along for the ride. But in 2023, I started talking about rugby in my professional world and realized that this background can help my clients. The rugby stories I could tell in coaching sessions or keynote presentations had valuable lessons for business leaders and teams. Keep reading for six lessons you can learn from elite rugby players that will help your own career.?

1. You can’t control your team’s performance—all you can do is build an environment where there is support for the teams growth and goals

Coaching is all about driving growth for players—both as an individual and as an elite performer. For both rugby players and executives, setting specific goals is critical. The coach’s role is giving feedback on performance and holding people accountable to their goals.?

When I was coaching in the 2017 World Cup, we were in the semi-finals playing against New Zealand, and I was sitting in the stands. The players had to do everything on the pitch themselves. What makes rugby different from other sports is that on game day, coaches don’t have much to do. Of course, before that New Zealand game, I had a few minutes before the players went out onto the pitch to give a speech, plus another ten minutes at half-time. Other than that, the games are spent trying to get messages out to players through a headset, wireless, radios, and our physical therapists… which the players mostly ignore!?

Because of that dynamic, coaching rugby is a lot like being a leader. You don’t have control over the performance of your team. All you can do is create an environment? that supports their growth and their goals, and hold them accountable to what they said they were going to do. The rest is up to them.?

2. It’s not about you!

As a rugby coach, I never saw myself as being that important. It was always about the players. If you talk to anyone who has played for me, they’ll tell you about times when I didn’t want to be in the team photo. “It’s not my team, it’s their team,” was where I was coming from.?

While not being in the photo may have been a bit extreme, it’s generally a healthy mindset to have as a leader: It’s not about you. You are a facilitator, guiding your team on their journey.? The focus should be on the team and what they are accomplishing together, rather than your own recognition as the “coach.”?

3. Have empathy for performance under pressure

The fact that we are all performing under pressure is something we don’t talk about enough in the business context. Athletes learn how to perform under pressure and stress, but employees don’t often learn those same skills. Normalize having discussions with your team about the pressure they feel, and make space for people to share strategies that have worked for them in overcoming this.?

I remember my own time as a head coach and the immense pressure I felt about every decision I made. So when I hear rugby coaches talk and watch their teams play, I try to be empathetic instead of judgmental. I know very little about what’s going on in their world, and I understand just how hard the role is.?

Bringing that same empathy into the office is crucial. When you’re not the person making the choice, it’s easy to have a strong opinion about any given situation. It’s much harder to be the one under pressure to make a choice that will then have an impact on the organization and employees.

4. Give and seek feedback to achieve your “Olympic-level” goals

When I talk to C-Suite executives, they are often thirsty for feedback. They struggle because no one really wants to tell the top of the house what’s really going on.?

For an elite athlete, feedback is critical. They are eager to hear any perspective on their performance that they can’t see themselves. This is what makes them a better player and helps the team win more matches. When your end goal is getting to the World Cup or Olympics, you can’t afford to not be receptive to feedback.?

The same is true for a business executive. Consider what your “Olympic-level” goals are, and you’ll begin to see the role of feedback to get you there. Maybe your goal is to become the leading brand in your industry, and your team is in charge of marketing. Or perhaps your team aims to develop an innovative product that will transform your company long-term. Create a culture of feedback by starting with your own actions. Ask for honest feedback, and model giving it to others in a constructive way.?

5. Make small, realistic changes

As humans, we like to make BIG changes. We want to see immediate results. But when you look at elite athletes, they’re very intentional about what they do. They recognize that elite performance is all about making lots of small changes. As an executive, those small changes are just as important. It’s much more realistic to make incremental changes in behavior. Those micro-adjustments can drastically change the course of performance over time.?

6. Recovery is key

For a number of the executives I work with, I truly don’t understand how their life is sustainable. They need to find ways to enhance their recovery. You cannot be at your best 24/7, 365 days a year. You need to find time to refill your emotional tank, whether that’s spending time with family or working out. You have to prioritize recovery, which is something elite athletes do very well.?

With these lessons from the rugby pitch, business leaders can better support the growth of their team and make small changes that lead to greater success. Whether you're preparing for a World Cup or striving to hit quarterly targets, leadership is about guiding others to reach their full potential and achieve their goals. Embrace these lessons, and you’ll find yourself leading a truly exceptional team.?

Pete Steinberg is an elite rugby coach, leadership consultant, and author. He can help you and your organization overcome challenges and achieve unparalleled success. Pete’s first book, “Leadership Shock ,” is now available online or through your local bookstore. You can connect with Pete on LinkedIn and at PeteSteinberg.com .