Leadership is often seen as something purely business-related. Something you learn from books, models, and experience in corporate environments.
But if you look closely at top-level sports, you’ll see something different: leadership in its purest form. Under pressure. With clear goals. And with immediate consequences.
A few years ago, I was interviewed by the largest information platform for the business sports market in the Netherlands, ‘sport knowhow XL’. I was asked 5 questions: as a former competitive sailor, as a sports administrator, as a business and leadership coach, and as an author.
What you may not know is that I have been sailing competitively since childhood. When I was 8 years old, I was put in a boat for the first time. It was “instilled in me from a young age”. Since then, I have seen many national and international racecourses. And I was the national youth team coach and the Dutch Paralympic team coach for a long time.
It’s no coincidence that I often draw parallels between leadership and elite sports in my book “My Best Team Ever! In 7 Steps to Golden Leadership.” I believe that elite sports and the business world are not so far apart. Here are some similarities I mention between elite sports and leadership.
Result Orientation
As the Olympic Games approach, one thing becomes crystal clear: everything serves a single moment—a peak performance. Both in business and in sports, results matter. When the desired outcome is clear, a concrete plan can be created to get there.
Commitment
In Olympic teams, commitment goes far beyond motivation. It is a prerequisite for performing under extreme pressure. Commitment is often called a “game changer” or even the emotional infrastructure of a team. When people are truly involved, they make the difference. Just look at how committed Jos Verstappen has been throughout Max’s racing career. That level of involvement gives wings.
Accountability
Accountability is also known as the path to success. In sports teams—and in business teams—you must be able to rely on one another. Say what you do, and do what you say.
Continuous Improvement and Impact
Olympic programs are built on marginal gains. Differences of milliseconds can determine success. Continuous improvement (Kaizen) is about constantly identifying opportunities to improve and eliminating unnecessary actions. In business, this concept has become popular; in sports, it has always been the norm.
Look at the ongoing innovations at the highest level of sailing, such as the America’s Cup—one of the oldest international sporting events and a breeding ground for new technological developments that eventually find their way into broader applications.
Tapering
The concept of “tapering” comes from swimming. It means that athletes reduce their training load before a major competition to fully unlock their potential on race day.
Leaders can learn a lot from this. When a lot is happening, a leader doesn’t automatically add more. Instead, they consider what would happen if something were removed. Especially in the final weeks before a major event, knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do.
Coach
Every elite athlete has a coach. Every elite sports team has one too. So why not you?
From my work with organizations, I see clear benefits:
• Goals become sharper
• The path toward results becomes shorter and clearer
• Limiting patterns are broken
• Leadership is strengthened, enabling teams to perform better
• Accountability increases—someone holds you to your goals
• Mindset becomes more resilient
The Olympic Games remind us how essential strong leadership under pressure truly is.
Curious what your team could learn from that?
And do you want to read more about “golden leadership”? Then read my book “My Best Team Ever! In 7 Steps to Golden Leadership.” Or do you want to know how you can further develop your leadership?
