{"id":26389,"date":"2024-07-11T14:44:32","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T14:44:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/?post_type=article&p=26389"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:10:55","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:10:55","slug":"inside-the-mind-of-a-performance-director-with-michael-bourne-of-the-lta","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/inside-the-mind-of-a-performance-director-with-michael-bourne-of-the-lta\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Mind of a Performance Director, with Michael Bourne of the LTA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n\t
\n\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t
\n \n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n 11 Jul 2024 <\/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

Inside the Mind of a Performance Director, with Michael Bourne of the LTA<\/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
\n
\n
\n
Category<\/div>\n Leadership & Culture<\/a> <\/div>\n
\n
Share<\/div>\n Facebook<\/a>\n Twitter<\/a>\n Email<\/a>\n Copy Link<\/a>\n
https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/inside-the-mind-of-a-performance-director-with-michael-bourne-of-the-lta\/<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

The man responsible for ensuring a pipeline of British talent to the upper echelons of world tennis spoke about his role in delivering a programme based on \u2018passion and care\u2019.<\/p>\n \n \n \n

\n

By John Portch with additional reporting from Henry Breckenridge<\/h6>\n
\u201cOne of the great things about the job is there\u2019s no typical day,\u201d said Michael Bourne. \u201cThere\u2019s gate posts and structures in place to keep us on track, but my job is very much to adapt to that.\u201d<\/h6>\n

The Performance Director of the Lawn Tennis Association [LTA] was a guest on the Leaders Performance Podcast<\/a> in early July, where he discussed his remit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI break it down as if we want to deliver performance, then performance equals the talent that you\u2019ve got multiplied by the exposure you can give that talent to them to develop and grow, minus interference.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to high performance, tennis has several traits that separate it from other sports and this is reflected in the LTA\u2019s provisions. For example, the organisation offers full-time multidisciplinary support to players from under-10s through to elite level, but player needs vary from individual to individual. They provide coaching too, at camps and competitions, but players tend to have private coaches.<\/p>\n

It is a balance and one that he has been trying to strike during his four years in the role, which began during the first year of the pandemic. \u201cIt was a huge learning curve for me,\u201d said Bourne, whose non-tennis background has never held him back.<\/p>\n

Here, we reflect on his thoughts about his role.<\/p>\n

He has a firm focus on the mission<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bourne, who has worked in sports science for organisations including UK Sport, the UK Sports Institute and the England & Wales Cricket Board, has a clear understanding of what the LTA is trying to achieve and why. \u201cOur mission is to be world-class and respected at player development,\u201d he said. \u201cThe slightly longer answer to that is that we create a pathway for our most talented players to go on a journey to becoming elite professional players, whether that\u2019s in the tennis game or wheelchair tennis game.\u201d It requires continuous self-evaluation on both his part and the LTA\u2019s as well as acknowledging how the challenges faced evolve. Bourne emphasised a people-first approach. \u201cHowever you cut it up, we are a performance-based industry and you have to have great people to do great things.\u201d He spoke of \u201cpassion and care\u201d. \u201cWe have a team of individuals who deeply care about the journey these players are on\u201d. Passion is one of the LTA\u2019s values and the sight of others in service to players is one Bourne finds \u201cvery humbling\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Michael Bourne, Performance Director at the LTA. (Photo by Shane Anthony Sinclair\/Getty Images for LTA)<\/p><\/div>\n

His role in driving change<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to being mission-focused and people-centred, Bourne places a premium on critical thinking. He also believes that having great ideas is one thing, but being able to apply them is quite another. \u201cYou can have the greatest thinking and the greatest ideas in the world, but if you can’t drive and implement change, then it\u2019s for naught,\u201d he said. \u201cUltimately, leadership is about being able to drive and support change.\u201d His team bring their tennnis-specific expertise and Bourne ensures everyone is aligned around the work that needs to be done. \u201cIt gets the balance between my background and their backgrounds in the right space.\u201d<\/p>\n

He does not assume things will happen on their own<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bourne readily admits his expertise is not rooted in tennis. Nevertheless, the necessary traits and skills are made familiar to him through his staff. He has set up a clear chain of direct reports and basic processes, but it needs constant attention. \u201cDon\u2019t just trust that they\u2019re going to happen all the time \u2013 make sure that you’re around enough and verifying whether the communication, the connection that\u2019s supposed to be in place, is actually in place; and if you need to step in and just give the person that support or just give that reminder of what we’re trying to do to prevent those dreaded silos developing people ploughing their own furrow\u201d.<\/p>\n

He relishes the daily challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bourne feels that his role is inherently challenging; and that\u2019s alright. \u201cI feel like in these types of jobs, if your job is easy, something is wrong \u2013 I don\u2019t think they\u2019re meant to be easy,\u201d he said. \u201cIf they\u2019re easy, then you’re missing something or you\u2019re not pushing when you need to push. There\u2019s always more.\u201d It feeds into his attitude towards the challenges faced by the LTA. \u201cIt should be unacceptable in a high performance environment to know there is a challenge and to take no steps to do anything about it.\u201d There will often be \u201cbrutal facts\u201d, as he put it, \u201cthen it\u2019s my job to ensure that we’re all leaning into that and in the right way in a professional way and in a safe way; having the right types of conversations that we need to have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen to the full interview below:<\/strong><\/p>\n