What sports can do for business and vice versa
Of course there are many differences between a sports team and a business team. And there is so much to learn from each specialism. It all starts with the individual, whether you are a leader or team member. If you know yourself it is easier to understand someone else.
That is not as easy as it seems. We all know the parts of ourselves that we like and we all try to hide or stick our head in the sand when it comes to the parts we do not like. When we are under pressure we tend to fall into the trap of the automatic response, most of the times showing unwanted behavior. We can learn so much about how we act under pressure, how we cope with setbacks. When we recognize our blind spots and the dogs barking in our dark cellars. Only if we accept and understand our own unwanted behavior, we can accept it from others. Only if we do that, we can guide, coach and lead the team into better performance.
That is what I do. That is what I love most in my work. These are the lessons I learned the hard way. I have been an expert in avoiding the shadowside of me. In ostrich behavior. I know all the coping and avoiding strategies. And I know what it brought me to start coping and no longer avoiding but using my weaknesses as a strength.
So here I am, starting a great new assignment for NRC. And I am sure more will follow, as I am living my passion.
From the newsletter, written by Xavier van Leeuwe, NRC Media.
