{"id":36018,"date":"2026-09-01T16:16:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T15:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/?post_type=article&p=36018"},"modified":"2026-09-01T16:16:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T15:16:19","slug":"the-debrief-a-snapshot-of-powerful-discussions-happening-right-now-across-the-leaders-performance-institute-29","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/the-debrief-a-snapshot-of-powerful-discussions-happening-right-now-across-the-leaders-performance-institute-29\/","title":{"rendered":"The Debrief \u2013 a Snapshot of Powerful Discussions Happening Right Now Across the Leaders Performance Institute"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n 1 Sep 2026 <\/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

The Debrief \u2013 a Snapshot of Powerful Discussions Happening Right Now Across the Leaders Performance Institute<\/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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In August, adaptive leadership, innovation and creativity were just some of the topics on the agenda for members of the Leaders Performance Institute.<\/p>\n \n \n \n

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By John Portch<\/h6>\n
After the \u201clowest of lows\u201d Norwegian middle distance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen returned to the podium at the European Championships in Birmingham.<\/h6>\n

The two-time Olympic champion underwent Achilles surgery in January and only returned to training six weeks before his gold medal performance in the 5,000m.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith 600m to go, I knew I was going to win. I was just hoping I was not going to get too tired,\u201d Ingebrigtsen told BBC Sport. \u201cI doubted myself every day and every minute leading up to the last lap, but I am always hoping.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingebritsen, who coaches himself, has now won seven gold medals at European Championships, but this may be the sweetest. \u201cComing from the lowest of lows to be European champion again means the world to me. Not even I believed it could happen coming here.\u201d<\/p>\n

In announcing his return in Birmingham, Ingebrigtsen wrote: \u201cIf you\u2019re waiting for the perfect preparation, perfect conditions, perfect timing, you’ll be waiting your whole life.\u201d He and his team found \u201cno reason not to race\u201d, even if gold seemed fanciful.<\/p>\n

It calls to mind the words of Dr Stephen Rashford, who spoke at Leaders Meet: Australia earlier this year about his role as Medical Director of the Queensland Ambulance Service [QAS].<\/p>\n

“When you\u2019ve got a really complex decision, and you\u2019ve got to make a decision on care, you\u2019ve got to back yourself. Because ultimately, generally your instincts are correct, and you\u2019ll make the right decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adapting under imperfect conditions was just one of the themes on the agenda at the Leaders Performance Institute in August. Read on for the full breakdown.<\/p>\n

Insight of the Month:<\/strong><\/p>\n

While Rashford is an advocate for evidence and performance analysis, QAS team members must not be held captive by the data. In chaotic or complex environments, complete certainty is a pipe dream. Informed, justified confidence matters more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at medicine, we\u2019ve gone into evidence-based care, and it stifles innovation,\u201d he said, citing the example of cervical collars (neck braces).<\/p>\n

The medical industry favoured hard collars, but QAS noted that they too often led to secondary injuries in trauma victims. Using frontline experience and available evidence, they switched to soft collars and, Rashford argued, the result has been a better experience for patients.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe numbers are really important,\u201d he added, \u201cbut don\u2019t let them rule your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the full report here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Quote of the month:<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the Leaders Sport Performance Summit in New York, comedian, broadcaster and producer Seth Meyers spoke of what he had learned from working with the likes of Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig and Jason Sudeikis on Saturday Night Live<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatching them succeed is something you can do, but watching them fail at the table was the real education\u2026 It was a reminder of how hard comedy was. To fail at this does not mean you\u2019re not funny.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Crucially, Meyers and his peers failed in what were ultimately safe spaces. They were all the better \u2013 and all the funnier \u2013 for it. A true lesson in expression and creativity for the world of sport.<\/p>\n

Read the event summary here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Five questions to ask yourselves:<\/strong><\/p>\n

At a recent virtual roundtable, Dr Robin Thorpe explained what it takes to embed new knowledge and processes in the pursuit of competitive advantage.<\/p>\n

Over the course of an hour, he and the table discussed the nuances of research and innovation in high performance and he wrapped up the session by posing five questions to the Leaders Performance Institute members in attendance:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Who owns research and innovation within your organisation?<\/li>\n
  2. How do you decide which questions are worth investigating?<\/li>\n
  3. How do you communicate the value of innovation to coaches, executives and owners?<\/li>\n
  4. How do you measure whether innovation has genuinely improved performance?<\/li>\n
  5. How do you balance short-term delivery with long-term innovation?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    You can learn more about what your fellow members said here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Good to know (literally):<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Jeff Pagliano, consultant with Management Futures, explained the significance of tacit knowledge \u2013 the practical understanding an organisation relies upon without necessarily recognising or documenting it \u2013 at a recent virtual roundtable where succession planning was the topic of the day.<\/p>\n

    As Pagliano puts it, tacit knowledge consists of \u201cthe things that you just assume and that happen, but upon closer examination, it turns out it\u2019s the specialty of one individual\u201d. Because colleagues can consult that individual, they may mistakenly assume the knowledge belongs to the wider organisation. In reality, \u201cif that individual were to leave, then maybe that knowledge would be lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

    This, he argued, matters for three reasons:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Its value is easily underestimated<\/strong>. People with specialist experience may appear to \u201cjust do stuff\u201d, concealing the knowledge and judgement behind their contribution.<\/li>\n
    2. It is difficult to replace<\/strong>. A newcomer may inherit written processes without understanding the relationships, context and previous challenges that shaped them.<\/li>\n
    3. Its loss damages performance and efficiency<\/strong>. Teams may repeat work, revisit previously solved problems or make decisions without the benefit of earlier learning.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Read about the group\u2019s thoughts here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

      Coming up at the Leaders Performance Institute<\/strong><\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      The Sport Performance Summit London<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n