When you watch a sporting event, do you ever catch yourself daydreaming about being the one out there on the field or court? It’s easy to envy athletes when you’re watching from the comfort of your couch, sipping a drink, and cheering for a win. We often assume their experiences mirror our excitement as fans.
But the truth is far more complex, and it’s far more familiar to anyone leading in business. Athletes live in a pressure cooker. They push through pain, train relentlessly, negotiate contracts, and manage off-season coaching and mental health support—all while under the media’s watchful eye. Being a professional athlete is a business.
In that sense, athletes are not much different from us as leaders. We’re also high-performers navigating stressful deadlines, investor or client expectations, and moving targets. That’s why I found myself nodding along while reading a recent article titled “Five Small Habits Sports Psychologists Wish Everyone Did.”
The advice wasn’t just for athletes; it was tailor-made for executives, managers, and anyone trying to lead with intention. Three habits especially stood out. They’re small; but like a perfectly timed pass, they can shift your entire team’s momentum.
1. This three-letter word is a game changer.
This linguistic shift changes your listener’s responsiveness. When we say, “You did a great job, but next time …” we unintentionally cancel out the compliment. “But” tells people to brace for criticism. Swapping in “and” keeps the dialogue constructive: “You did a great job, and next time, here’s what you could do to make it even better.”
This tweak fosters trust and reinforces a growth mindset. It reminds people that they’re doing well and that there’s room to improve. That’s how you build resilient teams who are open to feedback.
Never miss a post about leadership, transparency, and trust by signing up for my weekly mailing list, delivered right to your inbox. Sign up here.
2. Take the peaks and valleys out of your roller coaster.
Whether it’s quarterly earnings or a lost client pitch, many leaders ride the emotional roller coaster of performance-based self-worth. But tying our value to outcomes makes us reactive, not reflective.
Sports psychologists encourage athletes to notice when their moods rise and fall with their stats. When you recognize this pattern, you can start shifting your focus from results to process. That shift builds consistency. You’ll still care about outcomes—of course you will—but they won’t own your mindset. You’ll become steadier under pressure, and your team will notice.
3. Stop watching the scoreboard, and take one play at a time.
Athletes don’t win games by thinking about the scoreboard from the start. They stay present—one possession, one rep, one play at a time. That’s great advice for the workplace too.
Big goals are important, but they’re also overwhelming. Breaking them down creates momentum. It turns “We need to launch a new product this quarter” into “Let’s finalize the user feedback by Friday.” Small wins keep people motivated. Those wins are also more measurable, which makes celebrating progress a lot easier.
Sports psychologists help elite performers stay mentally tough, flexible, and self-aware. These are skills every leader needs. So, the next time you find yourself admiring athletes, don’t just watch the highlight reel. Steal a page from their playbook. Use and instead of but;check your emotional roller coaster; and turn your focus toward individual plays versus big goals. Your leadership and your team will be better for it.
