Adapting Sports Leadership For The Workplace

We were thrilled to sit down and record a podcast episode with Ryan, who is part of our senior leadership team here at Orbis. Not only does he have a wealth of recruitment experience, but we also got the opportunity to pick his brain on sportsmanship and its synergies with leadership. 

We wanted to break down some key takeaways from this episode - we hope you enjoy it as much as we did putting it together!

Red management style - yay or nay?

A red management style is referred to as a directional leadership style, which is results-orientated, and in some circumstances could be considered harsh. In sports, a red management style - particularly from those who have an “old school approach” is very common. You only have to turn on the latest Premier League match or rugby game to see managers and coaches with stern, red faces, shouting words of affirmation (or something more colourful) to their team.

Ryan views a red management style as a way of “pointing out their failings in front of everybody” and refers to it as the office version of the hairdryer treatment (commonly used in football). 

In essence, it’s singling someone out and shaming them in front of a team. In some circumstances, this can be an effective way of putting your point across, however, in an office environment, this can broach potential grounds for bullying and harassment. 

“I’ve seen things be thrown at people - by a manager at their staff”

Harsher management styles are common in recruitment, however, the needle is moving towards empathy and softer approaches which can be just as effective.  

Ryan highlighted that things have changed in the industry, and explained that “putting things into perspective is key” as a leader. 

“Accepting that you can only control the controllable, and focus on what you can do to the best of your ability with a current skill set and capability, and then the result will be the result.” 

The Chimp Paradox and Radical Candour

The Chimp Paradox (hyperlink book?) is an incredibly famous book that encapsulates business advice, human behaviour, and everything in between. It was a point of reference for Ryan during this episode, specifically when talking about radical candour.

In ways, radical candour takes elements from slightly “harsher” management techniques (both in sport and in the office) and instead focuses on delivering tough feedback in a controlled environment which demonstrates that you have the person’s best interests at heart. In Ryans view, “if you can create a team in an environment where you can be extremely candid, and honest, because you know, you've all got each other's best interests at heart,then the chimp doesn't come out, it doesn't get angry because it knows you only want what's best for it.”

The key with radical candour is that it is done slowly, over time, so trust and mental safety can be prioritised. Additionally, for it to be effective - it has to be received by the leader in question too. That way, it feels fair and balanced, instead of creating a power dynamic between a manager and their team.

Coaching children and coaching adults - same same, but different? 

Ryan’s experience with sports and coaching young people force him to look at adult leadership through a slightly different lens:

“I've got children that are more psychologically advanced than some adults. They’re more self-aware, and probably more considered communicators. The captain of the team that I coach who is fifteen is very considered and balanced and conscientious. And, working staff can be less advanced on their worst days. There's definitely a crossover with some of their behaviours”

In some ways, it isn’t surprising to hear Ryan say this! In moments of frustration or stress, it can be easy to let our “inner child” and ego get the best of us. In summary, it seems sports coaching and senior leadership have the same principles, just the application has to be nuanced depending on the age (and seniority) of the individual.

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