{"id":1330,"date":"2018-11-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-06T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/reports\/how-do-the-best-sustain-their-success\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:12:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:12:39","slug":"alex-hill","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/alex-hill\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do the Best Sustain Their Success?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n Nov 06, 2018 <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>Articles<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

How Do the Best Sustain Their Success?<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Category<\/div>\n Leadership & Culture<\/a> <\/div>\n
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https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/alex-hill\/<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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Professor Alex Hill, Director of The Centre for High Performance, runs us through his research into \u2018Radically traditional\u2019 organisations across the world of sport, arts, education and beyond.<\/p>\n \n \n \n

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By Alex Hill<\/h6>\n
Why do some teams sustain success, whilst others stumble and fall? What sets them apart? And how can we learn from them?<\/h6>\n

Well, our findings suggest it\u2019s by becoming Radically Traditional. With a stable core – purpose, stewardship, openness. But disruptive edge – experts, nervousness, accidents.<\/p>\n

Read on to find out how you can sustain success.<\/p>\n

Our research<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

The idea for the Radically Traditional study came from some work we were doing with UK Sport, the funding body for the British Olympic teams, to understand how they\u2019d improved their performance over the last 20 years.<\/p>\n

They talked us through their transformation, but questioned its sustainability. We asked them who they thought they could learn from. They said, \u201cThe arts, they\u2019ve been doing this for hundreds of years.\u201d So, we contacted the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Art and the Royal Shakespeare Company [RSC] – and the research began.<\/p>\n

We spent five years trying to understand how seven Centennials have outperformed their peers for 100 years. From the arts, we looked at the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Art and Royal Shakespeare Company [originally the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre]. From education, Eton College, from science, NASA (initially part of the US Army), and from sport, the New Zealand All Blacks and British Cycling.<\/p>\n

And we shared our findings with 537 leaders from 84 other organisations, to find out how the Centennials defy conventional wisdom and what they could learn from them.<\/p>\n

Our findings<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

While most organisations focus on growth, cost, customers, competitors, and secrets \u2014 the Centennials don\u2019t. Instead, they try to get better not bigger, are intentionally inefficient, shape society, learn from everyone, and share their stories with the world.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re Radically Traditional. With a stable core \u2013 purpose, stewardship, and openness. But disruptive edge \u2013 experts, nervousness, and accidents.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s what keeps them ahead.<\/p>\n

The Stable Core<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Centennials start by stabilising their core \u2013 to safeguard what they stand for and stay on track.<\/p>\n

1. Stable Purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shape Society – so people like you and talent wants to work with you;
\nEngage Future Talent – develop and attract future talent, to stay alive and relevant to the world.<\/p>\n

2. Stable Stewardship<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stabilise Stewards – stabilise influence, knowledge, experience, and decision making;
\nManage Handovers – so nothing gets lost along the way, and critical knowledge is passed on.<\/p>\n

3. Stable Openness<\/strong><\/p>\n

Create Challenge – create scrutiny and pressure so everyone performs at their best;
\nShare Stories – share what you do and how you do it so others trust and learn from you.<\/p>\n

The Disruptive Edge<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whilst stabilising their core, the Centennials keep waves of disruption crashing at their edge \u2013 to stay fresh and get better.<\/p>\n

1. Disruptive Experts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bring The Outside In – Stay fresh, and keep your critical experts at their cutting edge;
\nUse World\u2019s Best Talent – Redefine practice, by bringing in the best ideas from everywhere<\/p>\n

2. Disruptive Nervousness<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get Better Every Day – Focus on getting better, not bigger to not get distracted or lose control;
\nUnpick Success And Failure – Scientifically analyse performance, codify what works, tirelessly tweak.<\/p>\n

3. Disruptive Accidents<\/strong><\/p>\n

Create Bumps – Continually question what you do to find new ideas and practices;
\nLive Like A Family – Share problems, ideas and opportunities in relaxed environment.<\/p>\n


\n<\/b><\/strong>Read our HBR article, to find out more: How winning organisations last 100 years<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

We developed a 15-minute self-assessment<\/u><\/a> to help others find ways to improve. And have found three common gaps in the sporting teams we\u2019ve worked with.<\/p>\n

1. Stabilise stewardship<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

Many of the sports leaders we spoke to were worried their team \u201cwas a cult rather than a sustainable system, too dependent on one or two individuals for its success.\u201d And talked about how \u201cegos often get in the way, limiting their ability to learn from others. And happy see us lose after they leave, to show how important they were!\u201d But this can\u2019t happen, if you want to sustain success.<\/p>\n

Instead, the Centennials we studied find and employ \u2018humble stewards\u2019 (as the All Blacks say, \u201cNo dickheads!\u201d). Who are keen to learn from the past, and are more concerned about the organisation they\u2019ll leave behind than how it looks whilst they\u2019re there (\u201cLeave the jersey in a better place\u201d). And put them not just at the top of the organisation, but also two to three levels down too where key knowledge and influence often sits (20 to 30% of staff in the Centennials).<\/p>\n

Also, rather than changing leaders every five years like most organisations, they keep them in place for more than 10. And usually bring a successor in four or more years before the step down and spend at least a year handing over, so nothing is lost along the way. For example, Eton keeps its House Masters are in role for 13 years, with a two-year handover between one master and the next. The RSC appoints its Artistic and Executive Directors for 10+ years, and has an 18-month handover between one pair and the next.<\/p>\n

To stabilise stewardship in your organisation, ask yourself:<\/p>\n