Sport teaches us to analyse and improve

Leadership blogs about sport often focus on the competition. That common shared goal of winning, whether a deal, increased market share, gold medal or a grand slam. I find that instead, one of the most compelling commonalities between sport and leadership - particularly in the technology sector - is that, to succeed, there is a constant demand to learn about yourself. 

On the outside, leaders and athletes look externally focused, with a singularity on the game or deal in hand. To succeed as a leader or athlete requires a great deal of self-analysis, responding to feedback, and constantly looking at the whole season, quarter or decade ahead.  

Competing, winning and leading are goal-based activities; it is fine to dream, but the dream remains ethereal without a set of goals. To be competitive and a leader, in my experience, requires a degree of sacrifice; you will have to give up on something to make room for the dedication required. I look at athletes and admire the sacrifice they make daily. Great leaders go through a similar experience. Both have to be focused on the goals, and to meet those ambitions requires being self-aware and able to analyse yourself. In that process, leaders and athletes learn a great deal about themselves. 

Personally, my time in leadership, but also away from Tableau out running, playing tennis or windsurfing, have been occasions to really learn my strengths and weaknesses. That difficult match, a run in far from perfect conditions or a frustrating surf - they test you. How you respond to those events, look back at them, learn and develop will make the next match easier, a run on a spring day more enjoyable, and that perfect surf all the more rewarding. 

Watching an athlete compete in the Olympics, whether winter, summer or Paralympics, I always wonder what personal reflections and journeys they have been on to get there. The self-analysis is amplified for those who don't get to hang a medal over their neck. 

Analysing every element

Taking part in sport also helps you learn a lot about competition. In competition, you have to understand and therefore analyse a game, the opponent, their strengths and weaknesses. Analysis enables training and preparation to be effective. Training hard is one thing - and it's important - but training in the right way is far more likely to yield results. Training for a marathon won't make you a winning sprint runner. 

Leadership is no different; the game may be longer than 90 minutes, the distance to success further than the 42 kilometres of a marathon, but to lead requires constant analysis of opponents in the market. Preparation is equally important; economies can change in an instant and, therefore, the demands of the customer. So the planning has to be right in order to respond. 

As members of the Tableau Public community have demonstrated, being able to easily access analysis is crucial, these insights reveal information at a granular level; examples include a map of Germany which depicts which federal state produces the most successful Paralympians. Although I'd probably not want anyone at Tableau Public to visualise my sporting performance, what these pages depict is that making your analysis of performance easily digestible is key to gaining new insights. This increases the value of the feedback you receive.  

Amazing and inspiring as the performances of professional athletes are, as leaders, it is always important to remember that sport is an important release. Our roles and companies are complex and highly demanding, so we need other things that allow relaxation and release. This creates balance in life, something I have always striven for. As leaders, we must also be mindful and support the sport and release that our team members need, whether that is yoga, a game of football with their kids or lifting weights. These moments of activity are vital in learning about yourself and a chance to be in the moment. Our colleagues have been through a challenging two years and it is essential they have opportunities to be in the moment. More challenges are on the horizon, but sport's ability to provide reflection also brings us all together.