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Welcome to the Tuesday Trailblazer, my weekly newsletter delivering actionable advice from my personal experiences in 15+ years of people and business leadership.

Today’s Email:

I want to talk about one of my greatest passions… Sport!
In particular the alignment sport has with another passion of mine… Leadership.

What we’ll cover off:

• The critical role of playing your part in a team

• The power of progress, not perfection on your journey

• The value of sportsmanship in building lasting relationships

• Insights how sporting principles enhance your leadership skills

Quote Of The Week;

When I was 10 years old, my parents decided to get me into sport.

Funnily enough being from Manchester, England - it didn’t start with football.
But it did start with cricket - another sport we invented 😉 

My parents signed my brother Nick, my best mate Drew (still my boy) & I up for our local cricket club - The Cobbitty Narellan Crows.

At this time, stepping into a new environment and a new sport was exciting and I felt extremely comfortable given I had Nick and Drew with me.

Dad took us to the local sport store - I got my Slazenger 500 (a $50 bat! much cheaper than the $1k + bats of today), matching slazenger pads/gloves and filled our kits.

I lived for Thursday afternoon.
Where we’d casually get together with our new best friends at training.
I was the nutter at school counting down till 430pm where I’d get to use my new gear and learn to play a game I would truly come to love.

I became the local weatherman, consistently seeking weather reports for the week ahead hoping that there would be no chance of a devastating washout due to rain.

When it did rain, there were tears.
Boy were there tears.

I loved cricket.
And I’ve continued to love it ever since.

I’m sharing this with you today because this is where my leadership journey started.
My love for team, helping lift others, development and success all comes from my insane obsession with sport.

You see, 28 years later… I still play for the Cobbitty Narellan Cricket Club.

And have done for 25 of those 28 years.

Words can’t describe the love I have for this club and the intangible things it has given me for ¾ of my life, but I do my best to give back to it and often dream of the day my daughter plays cricket for the mighty Crows!

Today, I play the role of senior VP and have been fortunate (how my body is holding up is beyond me - thanks pliability!) to play 1st grade for the past 14 years.
Each year I feel a little older as 18 year olds young guns come into the side.

If you’re wondering what happened across those 3 years I didn’t play…

I was too busy and I chose work over everything.
It’s a period of my life I wish I could get back.

It’s just one of the many ways “busy” negatively impacted my life.

The positive of that experience however, is that I get to share my insights, learnings and leadership experience with you. In the hope you can utilise them and potentially avoid going through a similar experience - ditching the passions and connections that make you, YOU.

So today, I thought it would be quite fitting to share with you 3 ways sport shaped my leadership.

The lessons we learn from sports extend far beyond the field; they are invaluable for leadership in any arena.

Leaders like John Wooden have often spoken about the importance of each team member understanding and executing their specific role to achieve success.

Similarly, Simon Sinek highlights the necessity of building strong relationships within and outside the team to foster an environment of trust and mutual respect.

Some of you may have watched a show over the past couple of years that does an amazing job of highlighting the above and just how sport and leadership tie into each other…

Ted Lasso, incorporates sport into the leadership journey and how it can have a profound impact on your fulfillment personally and professionally. It also tackles the very important topic and impact of mental wellbeing.

The common obstacle for leaders… utilising and empowering the people around them. Many leaders struggle with the balance between involvement and oversight, often micromanaging instead of empowering their team to own their roles.

They may also overlook the importance of nurturing relationships, focusing too narrowly on results rather than on team cohesion.

Additionally, a fixation on achieving perfection can lead to missed opportunities for growth from setbacks, inhibiting both personal development and team innovation.

The good news…

These 3 lessons have shaped my leadership significantly and they can be applied across both professional and personal life; Here’s the lesson I got from sport and how to apply the lesson in leadership…

1. Play Your Role

In Sport - The success that comes from each player knowing their role in the team and the impact that comes from this - impacts the team's result.

In Leadership - Clearly define and communicate each team member's role, and ensure they have the tools and training needed to succeed.

2. Sportsmanship Matters

In Sport - Being good to others matters. I’ve always made an effort to connect with opposition. I remember when I was 12, I became such good friends with an opposition player - I’d ring him on saturday afternoons to see how he went.

To this day, I still talk to players from teams we played 22 years ago!

In Leadership - Connect with your team. Earn the right to develop your people by building relationships beyond mere transactions, recognising the long-term benefits of connectivity.

3. “Progress Not Perfection”

In Sport - It's okay to lose. It's okay to not be the best. I didn't take setbacks well growing up, but I learned to focus on being the best ME by prioritising daily improvements. Even if it was just 1% better each day.

In Leadership - Cultivate a mindset that values daily improvements and learning from each setback, steering away from the unattainable goal of perfection.
Don't take things personally. Be you.

This 4-Day Challenge is designed to ignite your impact, transforming how you approach and resolve conflicts. It's about leading by example, pioneering new paths in communication, and creating a team culture where every challenge is met with courage and collaboration.

Here’s this weeks challenge, Trailblazers.

1. Day 1: Role Review - Assess your current role and that of your team members to ensure clarity and proper alignment with team goals.

2. Day 2: Relationship Building - Reach out to a colleague or industry peer to strengthen your network or mend a strained relationship.

3. Day 3: Reflect on Setbacks - Identify a recent setback and discuss with your team what was learned and how it can be turned into an opportunity for growth.

4. Day 4: Set New Progress Habits - Establish small, measurable habits that encourage continuous improvement among your team.
   Habits + consistency = progress.

By leveraging sport to impact your leadership and life, you can unlock new levels of success, connection and fulfillment.

Remember, the lessons learned from sport are not just for the playing field;
they can be powerful tools for leading with impact, not busy.

Embrace the journey, stay true to your values, and watch as your leadership and life transform in remarkable ways.

GO THE CROWS!
 
Howard

I have built and led teams across 3 successful businesses and have over 15 years of people and business leadership experience.

Over the past 4 years, I have grown my business working with “busy” leaders across multiple industries (retail, hospitality, construction, mining, education) helping them igniting their impact and leadership both at work and at home.

Without abandoning their ambition.

Let me share my insights and help you:

• Reclaim your time

• Prioritise your wellbeing

• Achieve work/life harmony

• Improve customer centricity

• Connect & elevate team culture

• Develop beyond busy leadership skills

• Build your business bench and succession planning

Book A 45 minute “Beyond Busy Mentor” Meeting Here

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