A great write up from Sir Richard Branson about the similarities between top level sports people and people who succeed in business…..
Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard was famously quoted to say, “Nothing could satisfy me outside the ring… there is nothing in life that can compare to becoming a world champion, having your hand raised in that moment of glory, with thousands, millions of people cheering you on.” James explained to me that this feeling isn’t uncommon, and sadly many ex-athletes develop a loss of identity and tunnel vision, which often leads to depression.
But this is something that could be combatted if these athletes were given a sense of purpose outside of sport – and I think that the perfect place to find this purpose is in business. I believe that athletes often make great business people; which is good because in elite-level sport, the time period for success is short, and retirement is long.
Here are 10 reasons why I think athletes make great business people, and why companies should employ them…
They:
1) are goal driven and achievement orientated
2) learn from failure, quickly
3) are always developing new skills
4) take direction well
5) work well with partners
6) are resilient
7) are strong communicators
8) manage their time well
9) have grit
10) know what it’s like to be part of a team
Life after sport can be a challenging time, but it needn’t be. It’s a wonderful opportunity for reinvention. The discipline and determination it takes to compete as a professional sportsperson is not unlike what it takes to be an entrepreneur. A lot of things learned through sport are transferable into other aspects of life. I certainly found that the skills I’ve acquired playing tennis, kite-surfing and other sports have been beneficial to my business career. It’s no surprise Virgin has created so many sporting businesses too, from Virgin Active to Virgin Sport.
I believe that athletes have a wonderful advantage to succeed in the professional world after retirement, so long as they treat business like sport – follow their passions, keep an open mind to new opportunities, and refuse to take no for an answer. I was interested to hear of a new online community called LAPS set up to help sports-persons build careers after their first career ends.
If you’re an athlete wondering what move you should make next, you may just find a business opportunity is just as rewarding as your sporting career.
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