Why Athletes are Perceived as Resilient Leaders

What coaching young soccer players taught a sales executive.

According to magazine, 95% of Fortune 500 CEO’s played college sports. These former student athletes bring leadership skills, honed from the playing field, to the workplace. Their training has conditioned them to recognize the importance of teamwork and setting goals as well as dealing with conflict and adversity. The story below shows how four companies navigated disruption. Some navigated the challenges well while others are on a redemption path. As you scroll through, make sure to take note of Pasquale De Tursi’s words of wisdom.

Meet Pasquale — He is a sales executive who quarterbacks a client team to help enterprise businesses fight cyber-crime by providing products to help protect their data. When he’s not empowering his clients, he’s empowering young people through the “beautiful game” of soccer. Pasquale generously shared words of wisdom that can be universally applied to current and future roles.

“Football is also the school of life. It teaches you about hard work and being mindful of your surroundings.” — Jérôme Traveller

Disrupt or Get Disrupted — Competitive athletes are trained to think strategically and shift course when necessary. This skill can be imperative when navigating series of hurdles and uncertainty. Disruption can either spark opportunity or create setbacks. It’s up to leaders to identify change that can either serve as inspiration to shake up their industry or wreak havoc on their market share.

“The times when you feel like you’ve got nothing more, the times when you feel like you’ve been defeated, and even the times when you feel like you’ve achieved something, that’s when you got to put your foot on the pedal and keep pushing.” — Spencer Baucke, Cofounder of #SportsVizSundays