By Luke Whitworth

In more recent times, buzzwords such as ‘belonging’, ‘experience’ and ‘connection’ have re-surfaced as key considerations for the design of your performance environment.

Friend of Leaders, the author Owen Eastwood, has often referred to a piece of research conducted within the UK Olympic system, which outlined that “70% of our behaviour is determined by what environment we’re in”.

So if we are to obtain the behaviours we seek, the look, feel, engagement and connection to and within the environment is crucial in making this a reality. As part of this Leaders Performance Institute member Virtual Roundtable, we sought to explore how those on the call are trying to drive engagement and connection to get the best out of others in their environment, and collectively, what we think are the most effective and impactful ways of doing this.

1. Being intentional

Before we think about best practices in bringing people together, the notion of engagement and connection requires intent. As part of the responses from the group on this particular roundtable around what is important to get right when looking to drive engagement and connection, a number of responses suggested that upfront work needs time and attention first and foremost.

What does engagement and connection look like for you in your environment? What is the definition of this and what sorts of behaviours and interactions do you want to see that aligns to this?

One attendee shared that the process of fostering engagement and connection takes time and needs patience. Don’t jump to conclusions if you aren’t seeing rapid changes in behaviour, stick to the process and give it the opportunity to cultivate in your environment.

2. Focus on individual relationships

Now we’ve appreciated the need to be intentional and have patience, we can look at some simple things that can have a positive impact of moving things in the right direction. The most common response from the group was placing an emphasis and focus on developing relationships with individuals in the environment. Simple, but effective. How often are you creating these opportunities for your people?

Ensure that individuals in the environment are connecting with one another on a one-to-one basis and not just in groups. It provides an opportunity to better understand someone, creates opportunities to listen and engage with intent and often is more comfortable for people than group settings.

Within many high performance sport environments, we often hear the challenges with the siloing of information or practice. A very simple way to prevent this from happening is building relationships and understanding of others, especially when operating in different disciplines. Linking back to point one about intentionality, many of these types of interactions happen organically, but we also shouldn’t be blinkered to the idea that not everyone engages in them organically.

3. Understanding others on a human level

A common phrase in the industry is the idea of knowing the person before the performer. This isn’t just in the context of athletes, and it absolutely extends to staff within the environment. Getting to know someone personally provides an opportunity to learn more about their purpose, ambitions, objectives and development needs. If we are able to support our people by combining ideas to develop their practice, that also tap into the core parts of their personality or purpose, we will likely witness a higher level of impact and buy-in. Plus, it drives a heightened sense of belonging and their place within the environment which we know is vitally important to get the best out of one another.

Specifically related to development needs, are you making sure you are taking that insight you are collating and providing opportunities for people? As leaders, authenticity and reliability are valuable traits, so it’s important to do what you say you’re going to do or taking the time to progress ideas and opportunities for people.

4. Organisational alignment

Taking the point above a step further, we also want to strive to connect our people to the values and larger goals of your organisation. The notion of higher purpose is powerful, and if we are able to outline common and shared goals within the organisation or environment, a strong chain of people, beliefs and understanding is created. One attendee on the call had suggested tapping into the concept of action learning in this process – action learning consists of insightful questioning and reflective listening, focusing on providing clarification, reflection and solution-orientation. Integrating your people into this process and the wider goals of the organisation seems simple, but many on the call still felt it’s an area for improvement.

5. Balancing structure and freedom

Allow people to be themselves but in a productive way. A final common response from the group around important considerations for engagement and connection, was finding a balance of structure to support staff and athletes to head in the right direction, and a sense of freedom that allows them to feel like they can be themselves in the environment.

It’s important to show your people you care, which is why finding the balance of structure and freedom is important. Often people don’t know what they don’t know, which is why some structure is effective – provide space to experiment with a bit of support wrapped around it.

By Iain Brunnschweiler

Picture the scene: it is day one of the men’s Ashes, the biennial Test cricket series contested between England and Australia, with the famous cricket ground at Edgbaston in Birmingham bathed in glorious June sunshine. The moment is set. This is one of the most historic, most competitive and highest pressure sporting events of the year.

Zak Crawley, England’s 25-year-old opening batsman, could have been forgiven for feeling the pressure. At the time, his batting average was much lower than one would historically hope for an international batsman, and a bumper crowd awaited the first ball from Australia’s captain Pat Cummins. Yet Crawley crashed the ball through the off side for four runs, with one of the most dominant shots you could ever see, to spark an eruption of rapturous applause from the crowd.

This was different. What proceeded to unfold over the next six hours or so was without doubt one of the most scintillating days of Test cricket you could ever see. England played with a freedom and a joie de vivre uncommonly seen in elite sport. Joe Root made an impeccable unbeaten hundred, including some outrageous shots, against some of the best bowlers in the world, and all delivered with the biggest of smiles on his face.

The England men’s cricket team produced some quite remarkable, yet publicly divisive, performances against the Australians this summer in a series that was drawn 2-2. The media labelled it ‘BazBall’ (a phrase which Coach, Brendon McCullum, and captain, Ben Stokes, refute), however, it is clear to me that there is significantly more behind England’s approach than simply smiling and smashing it. There has clearly been a process of strategic thought, some well-considered internal communications and an integration between those in dark trousers at executive level (Managing Director and Performance Director) with those in the white trousers on the pitch.

In my experience in elite sport, seeking genuine alignment of philosophy, leading into strategy and ultimately performance, is like searching for a unicorn. Every organisation will have a VMOST [Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics] or similar, but how often is the MD really singing off the same page as the practitioner on the grass? How often when the going really gets tough, do we see players overtly playing for themselves and their own agenda, rather than that of the team and the organisation? Unfortunately it is all too common for misalignment to occur somewhere along the chain of command.

What can other sports, and businesses learn from the approach that England have adopted? I believe there are three headline areas:

• Strategic alignment 
• Performance psychology 
• Change management 

Let’s consider these one by one.

Strategic alignment 

England have consistently provided the media with a stated intention: they want to entertain. They have seen that this format of cricket (Test cricket is played in whites with games often lasting five days) has witnessed declining attendances in most of the world. England have strategically aligned themselves, from the Managing Director, Rob Key and Performance Director, Mo Bobat, through to the Coach (McCullum) and team captain (Stokes). They have taken the responsibility to seek to have a bigger purpose than just winning a game or a series – they are inspiring a nation and inspiring an audience with a specific style of play. Of course, they are doing everything they can to win every game, but at the heart of things, this is about something bigger. This is about keeping this format of the game alive by playing a brand of cricket that will entertain, regardless of the result. Not every team in the world has the resources at their disposal to deliver this super attacking approach – with the likes of Stokes, Root and younger players Crawley and Harry Brook, offset with the experienced bowling attack spearheaded by Jimmy Anderson and the now-retired Stuart Broad.

It was clear to me, that even when things got tough, losing the first two matches of the series against England’s ultimate enemy, that every player was clear on the strategy, and they did not deviate. Despite incredible levels of scrutiny and challenge from high profile media personnel, they were trusted from the upper echelons of Key and Bobat, and provided the psychological safety to be themselves.

Did the Aussies have genuine strategic alignment too? Currently the best team in the world, with many of the world’s best players, they are an outstanding unit. However, at times it looked like they were not sure whether to try to match England’s uber-positive tactics, or to maintain a more traditional approach and seek to grind their opposition down. I listened to a podcast recently where one of the phrases used was that the Australians were ‘fighting fire with water’!

Questions to ask yourself: 

• How aligned is your organisation both philosophically and strategically? 
• What is the ‘bigger purpose’ that might get more out of your team? 

Performance psychology 

England believe that players are at their best when they focus on their strengths. McCullum and Stokes have facilitated a psychologically safe environment whereby every player is encouraged to understand their strengths (just like when Crawley played his imperious cover drive) and then to deploy them with 100% commitment. Under the immense heat of battle, it is incredibly easy to become within yourself and therefore more risk averse. This leads to missed opportunities and can easily swing the momentum back in the opposition’s favour. We saw England batsmen and bowlers attacking the game with such a refreshing and entertaining approach that it seemed infectious. It also is very apparent that the players are enjoying their sport! Typified in many ways by pace bowler Mark Wood. Not only capable of bowling at extreme speeds (he hit a top speed of 96mph!), but falling over, joking around both on and off the pitch and generally demonstrating a level of joy that is normally reserved for the under-10s team. How often have we seen bland, almost robotic performances in sport…pre-defined patterns of play dictated by control-freak managers and directors. This is normally caused by personal insecurity and our ‘audit-driven’ approach to simplify the complex for a spreadsheet or boardroom. This England team are encouraged to do the opposite. To seize the moment and to play the game as they see it, with a personal plan focusing on what they individually do best. Genuine leadership and belief from the top, that the individual skills within the troops need to be unleashed. Rare indeed.

Questions to ask yourself:

• How well do you and your staff know your strengths? 
• To what extent does your environment encourage every individual to play to their strengths and enjoy their role? 

Change management 

England are administering a change programme. Any of us who have operated in more senior roles will no doubt be very accustomed to the challenges that come with delivering change within an organisation, let alone promoting it to the outside world. This normally comes with doubters, as change is hard. One of my observations during this period of time, has been how the commentators and media (mainly the ex-players in their 50s and 60s) have struggled to comprehend England’s approach. ‘It’s just not cricket!’ they have cried, ‘Why would you play such high risk shots, surely you would be better off getting out defending it!?’ or ‘Why would you choose to declare at that point!?’ This to me is like the member of staff who has been at an organisation for a long time, struggling to get their heads around a new approach. However, by the conclusion of the series, I think even the stalwarts are finally starting to understand. England DO care about winning, they just care more about entertaining a global audience with a brand of cricket that will inspire a future generation. They have consistently explained this to everyone who will listen, and the penny seems to finally be dropping. Change is difficult, but with an inspiring vision, consistent communication and a core of early adopters it is possible.

Questions to ask yourself:

• When leading on change, how are you going to deal with the doubters? 
• To what extent have you considered your messaging your vision to all stakeholders through the change programme? 

In summary, I was absolutely captivated by this summer’s Ashes series. The viewing figures released by Sky Sports in the UK, and the levels of social media engagement, also indicate that England are achieving their lofty goal of having a higher purpose. Most importantly to me personally, my two kids aged 10 and 7 have been captured by the entertainment. They wanted to watch the highlights every morning, and then run out into the garden to emulate their heroes, Ben Stokes, Joe Root or Mark Wood. This is a new era for the game, an exciting one, and one which I believe we can all take learning from.

Iain Brunnschweiler runs the Focus Performance Consultancy. He is a former professional cricketer, has authored two published books, and most recently was the Head of Technical Development at Southampton Football Club.

By Rachel Woodland

In our second round of Women’s High Performance Sport Community Group calls, we discussed personal development both in terms of what this has looked like for members of the group and what it might look like in the future.  

Our US ‘call’ for this period was in fact a discussion that took place in person over breakfast at our Leaders Meet: People Development event in June at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.  

That morning we were joined by Shelby Baron, the Coordinator of Player & Coach Services at the United States Tennis Association and the Texas Rangers’ Senior Director of Baseball Operations, Michaelene Courtis, and Mental Performance Coordinator, Hannah Huesman. The trio explored the moments of progression in their careers; their experiences of what works as well as what else is needed.  

A month later, in July, the Women’s High Performance Sport Community Group came together to share their thoughts and experiences on the second call. 

Here, the Leaders Performance Institute picks out ten thinking points (networking and relationship building stand out for us) from across both conversations.  

1. Be sure to plan  

Several people mentioned planning their personal development better. This might be from a logistical point of view and when it makes sense to focus on development based on the seasonality of a role; at a time when full commitment can be given. Or planning what to spend time on in a more deliberate manner, be that based on current gaps or where someone would like to be in the future. We also discussed who might input into the planning aspect and the consensus was that seeking the input of others was key. It’s not all about what we need either: what do we want to learn? It is also important to have objectives and goals, which can be personal too.

2. Protect time for development…  

It sounds obvious, but the importance of protecting time for development, even when in amongst the weeds and firefighting, was a point clearly made. As leaders of others, how are we helping with this or role-modelling this? 

3. … and time and support for development in your role  

One way which helps ensure development happens is creating opportunities for development to take place organically through what’s needed from our roles. This might not always be people and leadership skills. At the breakfast in Texas, it was said that “in order to lead, you have to go and do it. Going out and doing the work is the best development you can have.” For this to be most successful and long-lasting we need to ensure that the right support is provided. For Hannah Huesman, one of the most valuable growth opportunities has been being the ‘middle person’. It challenges you to think about how to connect with people, collate information and deliver it to others.  

4. Put the person before the performer  

When planning our own development or supporting others, we have to be kind to ourselves, or to them, and put the person first; we can even demonstrate vulnerability. We should show genuine interest in them as a person. This will make sure the individual is at the centre. When supporting others, we shouldn’t take the responsibility of developing others lightly. We want to be there based on the experiences we have engaged in. That might be us being open with our own line managers, or as line managers encouraging those you line manage to discuss next moves, whether that’s inside or outside the current place of work.  

 5. Network and build relationships  

By far the most commonly mentioned successful – and desired – development tool has been networking and building relationships with others. This can be done in a deliberate manner. Whether that’s using networking for adding to our diversity of thought and understanding other people’s experiences by finding ways to connect with people who are not like ourselves. We tend to look for and find commonalities with people, but we should be aware that we can learn from anyone. It’s working for some to do this within their organisation as well as by speaking to those outside of our organisations by joining community groups, sharing current practices of your own. Some take consulting, or trustee, or non-executive roles, including those outside of sport.  

It’s common that people seek out differences, be that different sports, different levels within an organisation or different perspectives in terms of leadership execution and problem-solving; or in different areas of expertise within sport, new environments, and even in new tools emerging for communication. Others have sought out leadership positions that mean that they’ll be a leader of range of people.  

Whichever method people have chosen for networking and building relationships it’s in pursuit of the right spaces to connect, and to share stories and experiences. Sometimes it’s to deliberately seek differences and challenge thinking, other times it’s to normalise some of the challenges that are faced across sports, roles, and cultures; and it’s to also help us understand what is possible and know that others have done what we’re seeking to do. If you’re in a position that is less common, making yourself ‘available for networking’ could be powerful for others who aspire to follow in your footsteps.  

6. Consider relationship mapping  

To help make networking and relationship-building purposeful and focused, the act of relationship mapping can be a useful tool. In Texas, everyone in the discussion agreed on the importance of relationship mapping. Building these relationships creates an impact in the environment that makes a difference to performance.  

7. Try reciprocal mentorships or ‘reverse mentorships’  

Formalising this further, mentorships and reciprocal or reverse mentorships were discussed. They elevate collaboration between two people and provide more opportunity for quality learning. Some invest in personal coaches, be they specialists in leadership or from areas outside of sport. What people want from a mentorship will differ, but taking time to consider this for ourselves or those we support could prove fruitful. We spoke about the recent story of Debra Nelson, an educational assistant at sport and educational charity Football Beyond Borders, who recently reverse mentored Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, at his request. 

8. Take risks  

A few community members said that being brave and taking risks was positively impacting their current development. Some of this meant putting themselves in new situations, reaching out to people they didn’t think would respond, or exploring new sports. Sometimes we might need it to be others that take risks on our behalf and support us as we find the confidence to shape a role that may have traditionally been a male-dominated space.   

9. Reflect  

Several members of the group mentioned being deliberate in reflection on their development, a good practice for ensuring learning. For example, 360-degree feedback might help with this, and kickstart the planning process again, ensuring some ‘bottom-up’ input to our journeys.

10. Look at the bigger picture  

And what can organisations be thinking about at a broader level? The following were suggested:  

• Sharing examples of women working in positions we might aspire to be in.  
• Providing spaces for women to engage with leaders and decision makers to support them in their understanding of the experiences women are facing, and then providing space for them to support changes.  
• Taking a step back, creating an environment where people feel safe enough to share their experiences.  
• Collecting data to support the experiences shared.  
• Taking ownership of developing those in positions of responsibility, so that part of their role becomes being great at developing people and planning for succession with diversity in mind.  
• Being willing to be challenged differently as and when there are more female leaders in your organisation.  
• As discussed in our last series of calls, evaluating current strategies to ensure an effective recruitment strategy that identifies and supports excellent people.  
• Considering that currently not many women athletes have vast levels of financial security when they retire from competing, so there’s a competitive advantage for organisations to develop and prepare players for that next phase in their careers.  

Ultimately, we were reminded to ask women first – don’t assume you know – and in general we should think about the individual needs of each person we’re working with and build a development plan from there.

By John Portch

There is a consensus across sport that teams at their best are defined by a series of recognisable characteristics.

They include the ability to have honest and open conversations, an emphasis on behaviours that build trust, and a belief in the collective before the individual.

As with much of performance, they are often easier said than done but most teams understand their importance and continue to work towards those qualities in their daily work and habits.

Here, the Leaders Performance Institute lifts some insights from our vaults that we hope can help you to plot a course with your teams. We are not saying that all the athletes and coaches in the examples cited below have nailed it, but their approaches may help you to stay on track.

‘Great cultures are built on connection’

Adelaide Crows midfielder Rory Sloane served as team captain between 2019 (when he was co-captain alongside Taylor Walker) to 2022 and, with time, learned the skills to handle difficult conversations in a way that put his teammates at ease.

Sloane had fewer concerns about his on-field captaincy than he did his off-field abilities. “Off-field stuff has always been my challenge absolutely – that’s something that I’ve always had to work on massively over the years,” he told an audience at Virtual Leaders Meet: Evolution of Leadership in 2021. “I wasn’t someone that loved confrontation at all, and that’s where I worked really hard over the years just on my relationships with people to be able to then have those conversations.”

He cited the influence of renowned American leadership specialist Brené Brown. “There was something she said: ‘Sit next to someone when you’re having those conversations rather than across’; because I reckon I used to always come across very aggressively, so sitting next to someone was something that really helped me just have those conversations.”

Sloane’s development as a leader was aided by Dan Jackson, who was appointed the Crows’ Leadership Development Manager in 2020. “We’ve spent a lot of time talking about connection, and it’s a theme I keep seeing across elite sport, and also across corporate organisations – great cultures are built on connection,” said Jackson.

Another with a keen sense of the importance of connection was three-time World Series winner and 10-time MLB All-Star David Ortiz.

During this 20-year career in the US, the Dominican helped to transform the fortunes of the Boston Red Sox. During that time, he came across innumerable prospects in Spring Training, each hoping to play alongside a man who would enter the MLB Hall of Fame in 2022 in his first year of eligibility.

One such hopeful was Leaders Performance Advisor Bobby Scales, who joined the Red Sox’s Spring Training at Fort Meyers in Florida in 2007. Having been handed the number 76 (“an awful number”) Scales knew he needed to do everything in his power to impress Manager Terry Francona and the Red Sox’s decision-makers.

“I would arrive at 5:30am for the workouts that typically didn’t get started until 9am because you never know what might happen. Lift, eat, sort equipment, adjust to any changes, whatever needed to be done,” wrote Scales in 2002. “I remember the third or fourth day of camp at about 5:50am. I had just changed into shorts and a t-shirt and, out of the weight room having finished his workout, comes ‘Big Papi’.

“‘Hey, what you doing here? It’s too early,’ he said in a deep voice with a heavy Dominican accent.

“‘Papi’, I said, while pointing to the #76, ‘man, unless you’re early they forget about you!’ Part of me was kidding, part of me was dead serious. His answer was something that I’ll never forget.

“‘Nah, you get invited to this camp, you have a chance to help us win a World Series and we gonna do that. Get your bat… let’s go hit!’

“He didn’t know me from the next guy but I was in that clubhouse and I had the same uniform on. At this point of his career he had been a three time All-Star, a World Series champion and a World Series Most Valuable Player. At 6am he was changing his shirt post-gym workout and heading to the batting cage.

“With his actions he was saying ‘we win things around here, this is how we work and you’re part of it’. This was his routine and he was going to do this whether I was in the building or not. I happened to be there so this was his opportunity to show me the culture in the building without saying a word. Leaders such as ‘Big Papi’ act with intention because they have a vision of where they see themselves and their club and a clear plan of how they can get there.”

‘Without connection, it falls short’

James Thomas, who currently serves as Director of Performance Services at Manchester City, told the Leaders Performance Institute how he worked to engender trust in the coaches with whom he has worked as a performance director.

“Unless you spend the time to build the connection with somebody I’ve often found it falls a little bit short,” said Thomas in 2022 while still serving as Performance Director at British Gymnastics.

“I’ve always taken the time to stand next to a coach during training, watch, ask questions, be inquisitive, and give them a sense that I’m interested rather than coming in and make a big change. It might not need a big change, but unless you talk to people and find out, you’ll never really know. It’s probably quite simple, but I just stand, watch and ask questions and try to be humble. I’ve come in, I’m not going to fix everything for anybody, but I’ll happily try and help. But I need to know about what you feel, what you think the issues are, and what you think doesn’t need fixing. What you think is great and really sacred to the sport, what needs to be maintained for the next few years.”

Sometimes, it is not even the head coach who is the prime source of the information needed – a point to which Leaders Performance Advisor Meg Popovic, who previously worked with the Toronto Maple Leafs, makes with reference to equipment staff.

“They’re always connected to the pulse of the players,” she wrote in 2022. “These staff team members know the make, model, year, brand, variability, and functionality of every piece of equipment a player uses or wish to try out. They understand the engineering, while finding delight in the new trends in the market that have the potential to improve performance and evolve the sport. They are applied-historians of the industry and the trusted mechanics whom players rely on to tune up, repair, and remodel themselves as living, breathing, sporting machines.”

They are vital and often put themselves out in long and arduous shifts and, Popovic recommends that coaches demonstrate their appreciation on a regular basis.

“This group wants to be (and should be) acknowledged personally for their long hours and often difficult, unseen efforts,” she continued. “A thank you, a coffee, or helping hand could quickly relieve resentment and amplify the energy flowing in this very important staff group.  Also, as they are of the giving-type, asking equipment staff how they’re doing could go a long way as their innate way of relationship is to be in the service of everyone else’s needs, requests, and demands.”

Such traits can have a profound impact, although they take some work. “Anyone involved in elite sport knows that you can’t get to the elite level without systems,” said Jackson. “I mean building in routines that become habits and then those habits just become natural.”

By Luke Whitworth with additional reporting from John Portch

What is the current state of play in the space of performance analysis? To help us explore this question, we sought to understand some of the current challenges leaders in this space are facing and, similarly, what they feel are some of the untapped opportunities in how performance analysis can continue to be a valuable resource to performance outcomes.

Current challenges

When analysing the responses from the group, as expected there were some commonalities in current challenges.

Collaborating with other disciplines

The most common was the ability to collaborate and work with other disciplines, whether this be with individuals operating within technical, tactical or physical domains. Specific to some of the responses, was the relationship between performance analysis and coaching as well as the under-appreciation of physical data in some regions. Reflections from different sports alluded to the fact that coaches are at different stages in their understanding and utilisation of performance analysis, so it can be challenging to work in an optimal and collaborative way. There was an appreciation that many coaches work in subjective terms, so adding context to objective data and information is important to meet the coaches where they are at. Finally as it pertains to collaborating with other disciplines, a further challenge shared was working to keep all parties happy with what is collected and presented considering resource, timelines and what is needed to be prioritised within the programme.

Clearly defined processes

In evaluating the challenges, there were a number of responses that aligned to processes and ways of working. Clearly defining the role and purpose of the department was one that featured. Secondly, information siloes was another popular response and is likely to be a by-product of the challenge already outlined above. Finding out what is most important in terms of data collection and analysis also featured, suggesting that in some programmes there isn’t perhaps that clarity around the role and purpose of the department in alignment to the overall performance model. As a final thought on this overarching theme, the group suggested that there is a need to have space for strategic thinking to continue to evolve processes and answer questions around the future trends or direction of their respective sports.

Working with the modern day athlete

There was an appreciation that the modern day athlete has some differences in how they operate and obtain information compared to more mature athletes. We come onto some potential solutions for this later on, but it was clear to see that those participating in this particular roundtable are thinking about ways to better connect, educate and present information to their athletes. The key question around this is how and what is having the most impact?

Collation vs analysis

We are in a data tsunami was one of the comments on the call and it’s fair to say that’s a pretty accurate representation of where high performance sport is with performance related data and information. Some of the specific challenges that sit within this bucket included: the split between video analysis and data analysis. Data is more ‘buzzy’ at the moment but video can’t be forgotten as it continues to be a key method of analysis. One participant shared that we are in danger of doing more collating and not enough in-depth analysis. This chimes with the notion of knowing what is important to the programme and then being able to use data in actionable ways to support that.

What are some interventions or best practices to support these challenges?

Collaborating with different disciplines

To ensure the group left the roundtable with some best practice ideas, we had discussions around how some of these challenges were solved or being worked on. A simple suggestion that has had a positive impact was removing the notion of analysts being sat in one office, grouped together and instead integrating them in the same operating spaces as the coaches.

A couple of organisations on the call alluded to how they have renamed departments, one of those being to a Coaching & Analysis department, combining both disciplines. Analysts are an extension of the coaches, but one particular team are encouraging their coaches to become analysts in their own way. There was a consensus that the days of separate departments are gone.

Alignment is something teams have worked at to encourage collaboration between disciplines. Many organisations use a ‘what it takes to win model’ which is the performance backwards approach – something akin to this is a good way of aligning everyone to an end goal. In facilitating this type of model, ensure everyone is given access to others’ information and data. Often, departments can be too protective and it’s damaging to clarity and decision-making. Make the information readily available for all.

Be intentional around the development of non-technical skills with staff. If practitioners are talking and engaging in informal conversations, there will be a better understanding of the problems and questions being asked.

Finally, one environment on the call shared how one of the analysts has developed an interactive report where all disciplines feed into it for the team’s monthly meeting. Disciplines having to input into this report gives ownership and during discussions, it has allowed for more objective viewpoints as opposed to emotional ones that can sometimes arise.

Working with the modern athlete

This process can be influenced before you even interact with the athlete. The group discussed the importance of looking at the recruitment of analysts. It was suggested that individuals that have some experience in a teaching or pedagogical context is advantageous to supporting the interaction with the athletes. We need to look beyond just looking at the technical skillset of being an analyst, but other skills that will help deliver the technical element of the work. The ability to deliver information to people is what separates the good analysts from the best ones.

We will often experience athletes wanting information laid out in black and white, hence the importance of quality non-technical skills. Get to know the players so they feel more comfortable in being challenged. Insights profiling of the players has also seen positive outcomes to better understand learning preferences and styles.

Finally, athletes tend to spend the most time communicating and working with the coaches. Working through the coaches is a simple way to convey and communicate messages. It is also worth bearing in mind that your best players may not have the best physical stats.

Collation vs analysis

To prevent over-collating and under-analysing, it’s important to instil clear processes so that when you are in the height of the season, distraction is reduced. Focus on getting processes well defined in the pre-season so you can almost ‘set and forget’ and work on an automation scale.

If the data we are collating is not informing decisions or aligning to the outcomes of our model, there is no point collating or keeping existing information. It is important to pause and review whether the data is genuinely helping us to make decisions.

Finally, there was an appreciation that there is curiosity around what we don’t know, which is a parallel stream we should be thinking about, but it shouldn’t be the performance analyst’s role to explore this. This is where specialist expertise from data scientists to find the hidden messages and investigate largest data sets is better associated.

Opportunities in the future

Below is some insight from the group around what they see as being opportunities for the practice of performance analysis.

• How do we make our analysis more predictive instead of being ‘objective historians’?
• Have you thought about your domain through a different lens i.e. a coach thinking like an analyst and vice versa? That will help filter the available information and help you to reach the decision point.
• A recalibration from being over-reliant on objective data and a higher level of integration around the human element.
• Moving into a space where we are creating our own data and not having to stick to the traditional ways of data collation.
• Continuing to be innovative and creative in how we work in an interdisciplinary way.
• Balancing the science with the art of coaching and observation.
• Guiding technology rather than being guided by it.
• What do collaborative opportunities with other sports look like around sharing of processes and approaches?
• Learning from other environments, notably the business world and big data technology organisations.
• In some sports, access to data in-game is becoming more readily available which has the ability to influence coaching and in-game decision making. How do we maximise these developments?
• The field of performance analysis continues to grow, meaning there are students and younger practitioners looking for opportunities. How can we facilitate this better or collaborate with institutions delivering education?
• The development of technology allowing for easier insights into big datasets.

By John Portch

The Leaders Performance Institute asks Rohan Taylor how he stays in touch with his instincts as a coach.

“I’m on that journey, to be honest,” says the Head Coach of Swimming Australia. “I’m very comfortable now, today, to say it’s my number one skillset that I think I have to keep front and centre. I see instinct and intuition as a collection of knowledge and experience that touches me on the head and says ‘have you seen this before?’ so I need to stop and listen and tap into it.”

Taylor explains that he welcomes data but that he “won’t let it override what I feel”. “When I made the most successful moves or the most successful decisions or things that I’ve done really well, it’s been driven by my instincts with information informing me,” he continues.

It is not just decision-making around Swimming Australia’s programming either. “In a room when I’m talking to a group of people, I’m looking around to see is there a connection happening here and I rely on my instincts to tell me where to pivot if it’s not.

“My instincts tell me ‘you’re probably not hitting the mark’. I rely on them heavily and I’m very confident in them. And if I make a mistake, I make a mistake. It doesn’t faze me. I learn from that and it’s all about continual improvement for me.”

Taylor, who is currently with the Australian Dolphins at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, was a major contributor to our March Special Report Navigating Your Way Through Major Competitions. Here, he reflects on his style as a leader and where he can continue to improve and develop.

Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

What is the key to getting the big decisions right and managing them effectively?

RT: I’m always a big believer that I’ve got to surround myself with people smarter than me and build that trust. Getting a big decision right is speaking to the right people to tell me what I need to hear and not what I want to hear; getting the right feedback. Because you can go to people and say ‘yeah, that’s the way to go’ but then they’ll ask questions and make me think a little bit more. So I’ve vetted my decision-making with trusted people around me. I think that’s a really important part. But for the piece I’m doing, is I’m trying to influence a greater number of people. Now I can’t go and have those conversations with everybody. So what I do is, those people around me are my influencers, they’re the ones that if they agree, the likelihood is that everybody else will follow along because they trust them even if they don’t trust me. So my decision making is making sure I spend the time informing and collaborating with the right people and then we’ll move forward together and be aligned; and if I don’t do that I usually find myself having to eventually do that anyway. So if I make a unilateral decision, I likely have to follow up by going back to those people to bring them onboard. So I spend the time talking to them before I go out and do that.

Is that when you feel at your most confident and in command?

RT: Absolutely, because you know you’ve got buy-in from the right people. Also, the thing is that I’m quite comfortable to make flexible moves on the go, but I’ll do it through the right people who will influence me, but it’s a two-way street. I’m very confident in saying ‘hey, here’s the direction’ but I’m also confident that if there’s a need to move one way or another that I’ve got people around me who will help me to make that adjustment if I need to. And they trust me.

How carefully do you choose your words? What can you say to an athlete? What do you prefer not to say?

RT: In this day and age you’ve got to be very careful. That’s the challenge and that’s the learning that all of us in leadership; and the coaches, who are leaders in their own right, are having to check their language, their feedback, because it’s a different world we live in now, from the point of view of sensitivity. For me, it’s the level of trust with the person you’re giving feedback to has a lot to do with it as well. Even then, I err on the side of caution more than anything. There’s times I’d like to say ‘pull your head in, you’re being a dickhead’ and although I want them to hear that, but I have to deliver it a different way. I think about what I feel like saying, and then I think ‘OK, I’m going to walk away and re-frame this and is there a message I need to try to deliver and then work it out?’ It takes a lot longer, to answer your question! You’ve got to take time to deliver things if you want to be impactful. At times it’s exhausting, to be honest.

How do you ensure you are protecting your own time and mental resources?

RT: Well, I moved where I’m living now. I moved 400m from the beach on the Sunshine Coast. I relocated for environmental reasons and that was absolutely a targeted move for my family. At some point today, I’ll be in the surf having a swim or go out on a jetski. I’ll go and play and that’s giving me to have that hour to myself or with my wife or walk or whatever. That’s simplistic me. I have targeted times where I just lock in on things and I’ve learned to disconnect now; I’m better at that. So I either physically remove myself or put myself in a different space or I go and read a book or something – usually I’m reading books about leadership so I’m not really getting out of that space! But I am actually refreshing my mind around re-engaging in that learning. I go and watch my girls do sport and that’s always a great little release. So I think I’ve got the balance right. The big thing for me is the balance is not about 50% this or 50% that, it’s 100% this and 100% that. So if I’m going out for an hour to spend on the jetski and go wave-jumping or surfing, I’m 100% into that. I’m not going out there thinking about something else. That’s to me is balance. That’s utopia to get to that point. Then I feel that I’ll be fine.

By John Portch

“I do feel a little bit sad for the players I had 20 years ago. They could have benefited from the experience I have now.”

The Leaders Performance Institute is on the phone to David Sammel, a tennis coach with more than 30 years of experience coaching men’s ATP Tour players.

This week, Sammel is at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club in Wimbledon to coach Britain’s Liam Broady in both the gentlemen’s singles and doubles at The Championships.

We are speaking on Wednesday 5 July. It is the day after Broady’s first round defeat of Constant Lestienne and the day before he dispatched fourth seed and three-time grand slam finalist Casper Ruud. It was an ideal moment for Sammel to reflect on his development as a coach.

“I have different tools that I’ve developed over the years and I feel sad for those players in the past because there’s situations I look back on and I would have dealt with them differently now to how I did then,” he says. “But that’s part of the learning process as a coach and the other side of the coin is that I would hate to look back, even in five years’ time from now, and say I’m exactly the same as I was five years ago.”

Broady, the men’s world number 142, was due to play Ruud on the day of our conversation, but the rain put paid to that idea. Inclement weather is just one of a number of disruptions that players can routinely expect at a tournament.

“These days are tricky to manage because their stress and anxiety is there as the build-up to the match continues; and keeping someone in a holding pattern is not easy. The job almost shifts to keeping the player entertained in different ways and being light-hearted in practice,” adds Sammel.

“The work is really done beforehand and once you get into the tournament it’s just a bit of maintenance, a little bit of sharpening and keeping the player relaxed between matches. At majors it’s a little different because you always get a day off in between and, of course, like the rain at Wimbledon yesterday, we now get two days and, possibly, depending on how the weather is today, three days off.”

Here, the Leaders Performance Institute details five factors that underpin Sammel’s approach to coaching during a competition.

1. The fundamentals don’t change

During a tournament, Broady will aim to rise at his usual time, whether he is playing or not. Routine is important, although practice times will depend on the availability of practice courts.

Nevertheless, the fundamentals should not change because a player is competing at the All England Club. “What I’ll say to players is the court is the same size, you’re playing against people you can play anywhere in the world, and it’s just a label that this is the best tennis tournament in the world. You need to go out there and play tennis – not Wimbledon. It’s trying to keep the head in a place that, at the end of the day, it is your job to play tennis – it is not to play different tennis because it’s Wimbledon. It’s to play the best tennis that you can put on the court on the day.”

That said, “You’re not ignoring the fact that this is something a little bit different, but you’re saying ‘this is why you’ve done all the work. You dream about these things as a kid and now you’re living it and that’s amazing’.”

2. Help players to find their rhythm and confidence

Practice at a tournament is primarily to give players “a feel of the ball”, as Sammel explains. He speaks often about the need for players to find their “rhythm”. He says: “There’s nothing you really want to be working on unless there’s a couple of specifics because you’ve scouted the opponent and say something like ‘let me feed you a few balls, you’re going to get quite a few of these during the match’.

“The problems come if the player starts to miss a few balls and gets a little uptight – they feel the magic is disappearing.” The key in those moments is to talk the player “back down off the ledge”. “You’ve got to say ‘look, let’s have a drink. Relax. Let’s not think about this for a moment. Maybe let’s hit a few serves.’ And when you feel like they’re truly relaxed go back to it and hopefully they find some rhythm.

“On bad days, that’s when it’s important for the coach to be there and not show any stress and just be relaxed. That often calms a player. You also need to remind them that there’s nothing they’re going to face tomorrow that they haven’t faced before. They just need to go through your history and know that they’ve dealt with whatever adversity has been directed at them because that’s where real confidence comes from.” Confidence is key. “With great athletes, the difference is their belief and confidence to perform and bring a level no matter how they’re feeling.”

3. How is the athlete’s body language? How is your timing as a coach?

Sammel has learned to trust his instincts as a coach. “The one big thing that coaches are there for is feeling the moment and the timing of when you say things. Give very few messages, important key ones, and do not overload the player – when a player has too much to think about that really hurts their performance,” he says. It is also essential to read their body language. “When you’re talking to an athlete, you can tell in their eyes whether you are actually connecting and they’re hearing you or whether it’s just being blocked out. They’re nodding yes, they’re saying yes, but you know it’s not going in. That’s when you really need to change tack or understand that this is just not the right moment and then you’ve got to be looking out, pretty much all day, for the right moment when they’re open to having a different approach and you go again at trying to get your message across. That is one of the big things that comes from experience, that timing.”

He adds: “If you overload a player that’s going to kill them, but if you have an important message, you’ve got to find the right moment and know that it’s actually gone in. That can take two or three attempts but not in the same way; if you try to bulldoze a player with the same approach their resistance will grow stronger and then you’ve got no chance of getting the message in.”

4. No ‘victims’

Sammel stresses the need for “adult conversations”. He says: “When you’re in a good place, where you can go through a couple of things and you can see it’s going in and the player will ask a question like an adult, not like a victim.”

According to Sammel, a ‘victim’ would say thing such as: “‘I don’t know if I can do this’ or ‘what you’re asking is impossible right now’ or they’re dismissive. You know they have a worry, they have a stress and they’re trying to pretend that it’s not there. You have to try to have a conversation. ‘Look, let’s talk about whatever is bothering you, let’s get it out in the open, and that way we can deal with it before you go out there’. Because when a player has something bothering them, if they don’t take care of it before they go out there then you’re looking at disaster.”

5. Win or lose, generate optimism for the player

Defeats are inevitable but there is always something a player can take into their next tournament and upsets, such as Broady’s defeat of Ruud, can happen.

“After a disappointment, the coach’s job is to immediately shed light on what the next step is for the player to progress and go forward,” says Sammel. “You need to be going to the next tournament with optimism. ‘If we put a couple of things right, we practise a couple of things and get a bit better at those, that makes you even tougher. Let’s take that to the next tournament and see what happens then’.

“I have a saying that I’ve used for over 20 years, which is ‘do the work and good things will happen – you just don’t know when’. I’ll say: ‘This major is over and obviously we were hoping for more, it didn’t happen, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the next major. Let’s keep working and the good things will happen. It’s not our job really to know when because that’s the excitement of sport’.”

By Luke Whitworth

The session objectives were to explore what we mean by ‘secure base’ and how it affects performance, reflect on how effectively we act as a secure base for the talent around us and in considering our teams, how to develop our skills as a ‘secure base leader’.

Within the session, we leant on the work of American psychologist George Kohlrieser, who has identified nine key characteristics of secure base leaders.

What is secure base leadership?

In the words of British psychologist John Bowlby, a secure base is a person, or at its best a collective environment, from which we draw inspiration, security and self-confidence to push the boundaries and perform at our best. A parent that provides a secure base creates a healthy, well-rounded child who can take risks, be separate and independent. As an extension to the work of Bowlby, Kohlrieser suggests that a secure base involves creating a collective environment in which we draw inspiration, security and self-confidence.

‘Secure base leadership’ is a term coined by Kohlrieser to describe the qualities and skills common to leaders who are exceptional in their ability to act as a catalyst to people performing at their best. In his book Dare to Care, Kohlrieser suggests that we need to care personally and in a genuine way to enable people to take risks and push forward in any aspect of life.

We will explore the specific characteristics that arose from the research below, but Kohlrieser suggests that secure base leadership is the ability to bring challenge and support together. Challenge on its own, isn’t enough to push someone forward. First and foremost, a secure base needs to be provided.

Nine characteristics of a secure base leader

Kohlrieser suggests thar we need all nine of the characteristics.

1. Remains calm, composed and grounded: without this, the other eight characteristics will be unable to fall into place. The ability to be a ‘safe harbour in a storm’, to not overreact to things going on around you and by being dependable.
2. Accepts and values the individual: you need to genuinely care and step away from judgements that we tend to make. See the person for who they are and valuing them for who they are. Amy Edmondson’s work makes this point really clear around the importance of inclusion safety. This point is a huge bridge to building trust in others and able to create a gap between the person and the problems or issues they may have.
3. See the potential in the individual: it is our role as leaders to identify that talent and potential, and communicate it. It is not always apparent to people what others can see. Gives people space to see themselves as others see them.
4. Use listening, dialogue and inquiry: listening to understand and be curious, not just to respond. Use open questions to find out more, but step away from ‘why’.
5. Create bull’s eye transactions by using targeted words and gestures: responding to what we hear. Bull’s eye transactions get us to pause first and identify what we need to pay attention to.
6. Direct the mind’s eye and focus on the positive: inviting people to be able to see what might or could be, and engaging them in looking forward to the future.
7. Encourage risk, provides opportunities and challenges to stretch: dare to care. Encouraging others to take risks through knowing, caring and trusting.
8. Inspires through intrinsic motivation, focuses on learning not blame: a sense of tuning into yourself to inspire intrinsic motivation and encourage on learning and reflection.
9. Signals accessibility, are believed to be accessible anywhere, anytime: the sense of being available and that others know you are there for them.

Mapping your team by challenge and support

What do others feel about your current level of challenge and support? To bring some of the research to life, there is a simple tool we can all use as leaders to map out the current landscape of your teams, as it pertains to the levels of challenge and support you are currently giving them as a leader. Similarly, you can also ask others how they feel about the challenge and support provided.

Challenge relates to the performance pressure people feel. The aim is to make this positive; people buy-in to the goal and standards challenging them. Support is the extent to which people feel they have the support they need.

A podcast brought to you by our Main Partners

“When a club as big as Racing come to you and say ‘we want you, there is no plan B, you’re our No 1 man’ then it helps persuade you”.

Stuart Lancaster, the new Director of Rugby at Racing 92, agreed to join the Parisian club last September while enjoying his seventh season as Senior Coach at Leinster. It meant a fresh challenge for the man who also coached England at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Says Lancaster: “For the first time, really, my head was turned a little bit by the opportunity to try something new in a different country, in a different competition, the Top 14, and to try and build something as successful as Leinster but in a completely different context”.

He discusses his move at length in today’s episode, which is brought to you by our Main Partners Keiser. During the conversation with Henry and John, he also touches upon:

• His efforts to sell change to the existing players and staff at Racing [9:40];
• Why he will need to be more hands-on in year one than he has been at Leinster [19:30];
• His belief in the enduring value of coaching [25:20];
• His relationship with Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn [36:30].

Henry Breckenridge Twitter | LinkedIn

John Portch Twitter | LinkedIn

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