For the longest time, I rarely mentioned I was a collegiate athlete. That was history, and competition made me feel uncomfortable unless it was on a court or a track. I found myself competing in unhealthy ways i.e. looks, clothing, sales quotas, number of clients, hobbies, hiking as in “first up the hill,” (sorry Honey), which was supposed to be fun. I was afraid my competitive nature would give the appearance of being too intense, too mean, too aggressive, or too angry.
Crazy, right? I spent half my life training, preparing my body and mind for competition, and yet I was reluctant to acknowledge the skills, expertise, and experience it gave me. Not to mention the fact that I had the privilege, the SWAG, and college tuition to play at the Division 1 level. Women before 1972 didn’t even have the option to play collegiate athletics. It wasn’t until 1996 when collegiate women’s basketball players could play professional basketball in the U.S., and 2013 for women’s professional soccer. Again … crazy!
Athletic Skills Translating to the Business World
What I learned was my athletic prowess on the basketball court translated very well into the professional world. I was recruited by a Fortune 500 corporation into their management training program and quickly moved into sales and marketing. I already knew how to be a team player. I figured out how to collaborate with my clients for their success. I understood what it meant to meet the sales quota, and I was one of the top leaders in my district (comprised of men).
I’ve learned to shift how I think about competition and fully embrace the amazing lessons that focus, team leadership, commitment, and discipline taught me. Today, I run my own business at my own pace. I collaborate with other cool consultants, and I team up with other coaches to help leaders maximize their skills and soften behaviors that worked on the pitch or court, but not so much in the board room or office.
Checklist for Applying Athletic Lessons to Business
Do you have hidden skills you haven’t considered?
Is there life experience that got you to this point, and you’re struggling to translate it into your next profession?
Perhaps you had to fight to work your way into leadership, and it’s now time to lead with intention rather than intensity.
Yeah. Me too!
TAKE ACTION
Whenever you’re ready, let’s talk.