As we continue to navigate the uncertainty of the pandemic, a number of sports are also embarking on their offseasons; a period that can bring its own share of uncertainty and change even at the best of times.

As we continue to navigate the uncertainty of the pandemic, a number of sports are also embarking on their offseasons; a period that can bring its own share of uncertainty and change even at the best of times.
Over the next few weeks we’ll be presenting selected insights from the Sportsology roundtables in article form so that others can learn from the experiences shared by those who participated in the sessions. In this article, we’re looking at the communication learnings that emerged from the discussions.
What matters is the long term view. What’s your organization’s north star? What are your goals and what processes are you following to achieve them? If you can answer those questions, then short term missteps can be mitigated by knowing your overall direction of travel.
The deeper we dig into the cultural practices of teams that have achieved sustained success, the more apparent it becomes that they all prioritize the simple act of making people feel valued.
The modern athlete is more socially aware and empowered than any generation that has gone before, and they want leaders who understand their views, share their concerns, and are supportive of the action they take.
In the age of ‘decision accountability’, front office leaders would be wise to be strategic in their approach to educating, affirming and encouraging their owners around the monitoring and measurement of their actions and decisions.
As franchises look at hiring freezes and potential 15-30% cuts in headcount as a result of the pandemic, the question becomes: who can step up internally to fill the void?
One of the dangers of the Unicorn leader myth – particularly pervasive in sport – is that it prioritizes the cult of the individual over the wellbeing of the people being led. In doing so, it sidelines the importance of collaboration, communication and empathy to constructive leadership.
In a 2017 interview with The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, ghSMART management consultant Elena Lytkina Botelho pronounced the death of the Unicorn leader.
As we’ve discussed previously, the great leaders we might label as ‘Unicorns’ don’t operate in splendid isolation. Rather than being an omniscient force, they are often guided by a highly competent support team and benefit from effective organizational processes.