It’s been a while since I last shared my thinking. These past 8 months have been busy for me both in business and in sport. It has been so refreshing to hear that our clients are experiencing growth and feel optimistic, yet cautious about the future.
In my opinion, this cautious yet confident outlook is largely due to their fear of complacency. I have noticed a real focus from the leaders I work with to make sure complacency does not creep into the teams they lead. They all have a common culture of growth, from a personal and business perspective.
It was this fear of complacency that at the end of 2021 I decided to commit to various goals — the achievements I wanted to deliver for both my business and my sprinting in 2022. Once the goals were set, my first thoughts were about the Team that supports me. The right person, at the right time, with the right skillset to deal with the situation.
If we take my sprinting as an example, the principles are the same for business goals. After deciding to focus on two track & field championships, within my core team I have two coaches in Mike Leonard (Speed) and David Millett (Hurdles and Agility), a training partner in Dr George Gavriel, and fellow athletes from my own club Marshall Milton Keynes AC.
Without the ability to draw on each specialist’s knowledge, skill, support, and motivation, I bring personal responsibility and commitment. I may not improve my performance, or reach the goals set. The road ahead would be twice as difficult, and elements of complacency may appear.
As I look back at the results achieved, it has been my best year so far as a master athlete. I finished 7th and 4th at the European Championships in individual races, while also picking up a Gold medal in the team relays. In the GB&NI Championship, I was delighted with my two Gold medals and a Silver.
This got me thinking of two important aspects we may not fully appreciate: the importance of a coach and the role they play within our journey; and who you collaborate and work with. Who pushes you and gets you to deliver that little bit more. While we all will have an available network of colleagues, peers, leaders, and competitors, do we really maximise their knowledge?