{"id":999,"date":"2019-12-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/reports\/the-knowledge-table\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:12:25","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:12:25","slug":"the-knowledge-table-2","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/the-knowledge-table-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Knowledge Table"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n Dec 09, 2019 <\/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 Knowledge Table<\/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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The recent meeting of the elite Leaders P8 Network took place on 11 November at Twickenham Stadium.<\/p>\n \n \n \n

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The P8 is at once a network and a knowledge platform. It is designed to connect people with responsibility for performance at the highest levels of world sport with each other and the ideas that have served their peers best.<\/span><\/h4>\n
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By John Portch<\/h6>\n

The top jobs in elite sport are often lonely places and always comprise unique challenges. The following is a record of the P8 meeting that took place on 11 November at Twickenham Stadium, London. A behind-closed-doors event, the account that follows is a general one and aimed at presenting the lessons learned from the conversation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Themes<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Building to win and sustaining success <\/span>on and\u00a0<\/span>off the field<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Media & reputation management<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Talent identification & development<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Participants\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Abrams<\/span><\/b>, Asst. General Manager, New York Giants<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dan Ashworth<\/span><\/b>, Technical Director, Brighton & Hove Albion\u202f<\/span>FC<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sir Dave Brailsford<\/span><\/b>, Team Principal, Team\u00a0<\/span>Ineos<\/span>\u00a0Cycling<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alastair Clarkson<\/span><\/b>, Senior Coach, Hawthorn FC\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Damien Comolli<\/span><\/b>, Sporting Director, Fenerbah\u00e7e SK<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kyle\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Dubas<\/span><\/b>, General Manager, Toronto Maple<\/span>\u202f<\/span>Leafs<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sean<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span><\/b>Dyche<\/span><\/b>, Manager, Burnley FC<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chris Fagan<\/span><\/b>, Senior Coach, Brisbane Lions\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Gustard<\/span><\/b>, Head of Rugby, Harlequins Rugby\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Emma Hayes<\/span><\/b>, Manager, Chelsea Women FC\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Roy Hodgson<\/span><\/b>, Manager, Crystal Palace FC\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eddie Jones<\/span><\/b>, Head Coach, England Rugby<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Danny Kerry<\/span><\/b>, Head Coach, England Hockey<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul Mitchell<\/span><\/b>, Technical Director, Red Bull<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gersson<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span><\/b>Rosas<\/span><\/b>, President of Basketball Operations, Minnesota Timberwolves<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ralf<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span><\/b>Rangnick<\/span><\/b>, Head of Sport & Soccer Development, Red Bull<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Les Reed<\/span><\/b>, Technical Director, the Football Association\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sir Andrew Strauss<\/span><\/b>, Chairman of Cricket Committee, England & Wales Cricket Board<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Building to win and sustaining success on and off the field<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There was a belief in the collective over the individual<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>character\u00a0<\/span>is\u00a0<\/span>most often valued above talent. With the right characters behind the scenes, the collective can rise to the level needed to\u00a0<\/span>reach \u2013 and remain \u2013 a<\/span>t<\/span>\u00a0the pinnacle. Everything must be geared towards winning\u00a0<\/span>with<\/span>\u00a0egos left at the door.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Key points<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Teams must bridge the gap between their needs and their athletes\u2019 needs. In that respect, athletes should be taught to understand the difference between achievement and fulfilment so that they can obtain both. Teams should ask<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0what makes their athletes tick and what would they miss if they stopped competing tomorrow?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    • If you\u2019re not winning you need to be learning to win, which means athletes being able to understand what it takes to win. It needs to be a key feature of your onboarding process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Culture is a competitive advantage and an open, honest environment, where communication flows in all directions, is an essential element of success. Teams would be well served creating opportunities for athletes to be honest and open with each other.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      2. Media & reputation management<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      During the afternoon session<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0PR guru Andy Coulson came in to discuss how\u00a0<\/span>sporting\u00a0<\/span>leaders can best manage the media and their public reputations in an environment shorn of reverence for authority<\/span>. He also addressed<\/span>\u00a0the increased speed and volume of moral judgement in<\/span>\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0social media era.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Key points<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • The best lesson from politics\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>sport<\/span>ing leaders<\/span>\u00a0is to develop a campaign mindset<\/span>\u00a0\u2013<\/span>\u00a0which should only be visible within\u00a0<\/span>your<\/span>\u00a0organisation. Having a process can help you with the things you are trying to achieve. But make sure a campaign mindset does not become a siege mentality.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      • There are good reasons to engage with the traditional media, who remain influential, but the landscape is changing, which provides<\/span>\u00a0other<\/span>\u00a0opportunit<\/span>ies<\/span>. Owned content in the manner of Amazon\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>All or Nothing<\/span><\/i>\u00a0series can have real value<\/span>\u00a0in certain contexts.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      • You need to have your influence spread across different points and you need to work out what is most important to you and your organisation. Having a single newspaper editor onside is not enough anymore.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n


        \n3. <\/span>Talent identification & development<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Talent identification and development<\/span>\u00a0may be better than ever but it<\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span>still\u00a0<\/span>unpredictable and volatile. Here, the group focused on personal leadership\u00a0<\/span>and resilience\u00a0<\/span>for young athletes and the question of whether or not the thrill is still there for young athletes in the current elite sporting environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Key points<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        • I<\/span>ndividual\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>ction\u00a0<\/span>P<\/span>lan<\/span>s can encourage youth athletes to take responsibility for their own development<\/span>\u00a0but<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>r<\/span>esponsibility must be combined with enjoyment<\/span>. You don\u2019t want\u00a0<\/span>18-year-olds feeling as if they have\u00a0<\/span>already\u00a0<\/span>been in a job for 10 years.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Part of the challenge is educating coaches in the skills necessary for\u00a0<\/span>developing\u00a0<\/span>talent. These days all coaches\u00a0<\/span>must<\/span>\u00a0be part-psychologists. Young athletes won\u2019t care how much you know until they know how much you care.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n
          • Who says eight-years-old is the best time to bring a kid into your academy? And are they still coachable when they arrive on your roster from college?<\/span>\u00a0There is little consensus on when our athletes are \u2018game ready\u2019.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n
            \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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