A healthy mind in a healthy business

Last month, I participated in my first two Spartan Races. (Yes, two. One is none… )

New professional chapters normally come with a ??BHAG??, a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal. Now this may not exactly be my new BHAG, but it was a goal nonetheless that had been on my bucket list for a while. And, let’s be honest, any race that lets its participants sign a waiver for ??death or catastrophic injury?? sounds pretty big, hairy and audacious to me…

Now luckily I made it through with only a few minor bruises, a lot of sand in unexpected places and a few sore muscles the day after.

I’ve always been an enthusiastic amateur sportsman in my free time, and for good reason. The physical benefits of ??a healthy mind in a healthy body?? have been universally acclaimed ever since the Romans coined a catchy slogan for it. But also mentally, a lot can be said in favour of throwing in a good workout or sports training on a regular basis.

So as I was shaking off the soreness and started planning for my next race, I also jotted down a few thoughts about the benefits of a ? sports(wo)man mindset??, and how these carry over seamlessly into our professional lives. Or, in other words, how a a healthy mind and a healthy business go hand in hand.

A healthy mind …

Let’s define a sports(wo)man mentality as the mindset and characteristics typically associated with athletes and sports enthusiasts. It embodies a set of values, attitudes, and behaviors that are instrument in achieving success in sports and maintaining a positive and respectful approach towards competition.

A sports(wo)man mentality involves, among others:

1. Dedication and Hard Work: First of all, success in sports takes a strong work ethic and a serious commitment to training and improving your skills. This means consistent effort, practice, and perseverance!
2. Resilience and Attitude: Maintaining a positive mindset is crucial! Sports involves embracing challenges, setbacks, failures and injuries as opportunities for growth and learning. It’s about remaining optimistic, resilient, and focused on your goals, even in the face of adversity.
3. Respect and Fair Play: A true sports(wo)man mentality requires respect for opponents, teammates, coaches, officials, and the rules of the game. Sports(wo)manship is about treating others, including opponents, with fairness, integrity, and dignity, both on and off the field. A sports(wo)man values and enjoys healthy competition and upholds the spirit of fair play.
4. Teamwork and Collaboration: Team sports require individuals to work together towards a common goal. True sports(wo)men understand the importance of teamwork, cooperation, and communication, and contribute positively to the team dynamic, support their teammates, and celebrate collective achievements.
5. Strategic Thinking and Adaptability: In sports, success often involves careful planning, analysing opponents and devising strategies to outperform them. However, just as often, athletes must adapt their strategies to changing conditions such as weather, unexpected play, injuries, etc. The ability to adjust their strategies on the go is crucial for success.
6. Discipline and Self-Control: Athletes with a genuine sports(wo)man mentality demonstrate discipline and self-control in various aspects of their lives. They adhere to training schedules, follow rules and regulations, and make sacrifices to maintain physical and mental well-being. They understand the importance of self-discipline in achieving long-term success.
7. Respecting the Outcome: A sports(wo)man gracefully accepts both victory and defeat. They acknowledge the efforts and achievements of their opponents and congratulate them in a sincere and respectful manner. They accept that their opponent was simply the better (wo)man on the field that day, and understand that the outcome of a game or competition does not define their worth as individuals.
8. Continuous Improvement: Having a sports(wo)man mentality finally involves a desire for constant growth and improvement. This involves actively seeking honest feedback, critically analysing one’s own performances, and striving to enhance your skills and knowledge. It is about setting goals, identifying performance gaps, developing strategies to close those gaps, and working continuously to elevate your performance to new levels.

These values extend beyond the confines of sports and apply to various aspects of life, contributing to success, character development, and the fostering of healthy relationships. No surprise, they are also a valuable skill set in professional life.

… in a healthy business.

??Hire character, train skills.??

I have always been a believer in the adage ??Hire character, train skill??, commonly attributed to former Porsche CEO Peter W. Schultz. In today’s fast-paced and ever changing world, the skills of today may be obsolete tomorrow. This is why it is more important to hire people with the right mindset than the right skillset, as they are motivated and flexible to keep their skills up to date no matter what the world tomorrow throws at them.

The corporate world and, by extension, any professional environment, shares interesting parallels with sportsmanship. Here are a few thoughts on how one can apply a sportsman mentality to thrive in such settings:

1. Dedication and Hard Work: A strong work ethic and a commitment to your professional responsibilities ensures that tasks are completed diligently and on time, and that you pursue your professional goals consistently and effectively.
2. Resilience and Attitude: Resilience and a positive attitude allow you to get back on your feet and overcome setbacks, persist through challenges and overcome obstacles. Also, the ability to remain calm and perform well under pressure is a valuable skill during time-critical projects or intense negations.
3. Respect and Fair Play: Just like respecting the rules and the spirit of the game is essential in sports to foster a fair and respectful competitive environment, integrity and ethical behaviour is crucial in the professional world to build trust with colleagues, clients and other stakeholders, and builds the basis for a good reputation and enduring success.
4. Teamwork and Collaboration: Collaboration is crucial in corporate and legal settings to ensure that work and projects are completed efficiently, on time and within budget. It involves not just making sure that everyone is doing what is expected of them, but also that everyone looks after the collective success of the team, picks up the ball when someone else drops it and goes the extra mile when a team member stumbles. Finally, it is also about creating a positive environment where everyone is valued and diverse ideas are welcomed.
5. Strategic Thinking and Adaptability: In business, strategic thinking helps you navigate complex situations, make well-informed decisions, plan effectively and achieve long-term objectives. However, just like in sports, it is important to remain flexible and responsive to changing business landscapes, market circumstances, technological innovation or organisational changes to remain competitive.
6. Discipline and Self-control: Just as athletes stick to their training schedules to achieve progress, in the professional sphere you will benefit greatly from discipline and effective time management to meet deadlines and handle workloads.
7. Continuous Improvement: Athletes consistently strive for improvement. Similarly, professionals need to seek ongoing development, adapting to changes and acquiring new skills.
8. Respect and Professionalism: Athletes respect opponents and officials. In a professional setting, showing respect to colleagues, clients, competitors and authorities is fundamental for long-term success.

So the next time you resist the snooze button to go for that early-morning run, you hit the gym during lunchtime or you join the colleagues for that friendly soccer match against the firm next door, you can safely compliment yourself that not only are you doing your heart rate and metabolism a favour, you’re also sharpening the saw by honing some key professional skills.

Aroo!