Leaders need to set the example

Sport and politics, it's a heady mix. In his latest blog, Comms Officer, David Callan looks at the recent comments from Alistair Cambpbell and how sport still has lessons to learn in leadership.

With there being a focus on the failings of some of our international sporting establishments lately, it was interesting to read a little blog from former Labour strategist Alistair Campbell.

Admittedly it is a plug for his new book (hey the guy is into selling stories/spin after all), but it also makes the point that politics needs to learn from the best of sport to re-connect with the electorate.

Campbell points to nine things that winning teams negotiate better than others and opines that sportsmen and women are prime examples of best practice at work.

The list of ‘things’ are:
•tStrategy
•tTeamwork
•tLeadership
•tMindset
•tBoldness
•tInnovation
•tData
•tCrisis Management
•tUse of Setback

The terrible irony of his blog is the fact that, at this current time, some of the biggest and highest profile international sports bodies don’t seem to be showing very many of these qualities.

What’s really sad about that is that it overshadows some of the efforts and achievements of a great many organisations and individuals making great things happen. Our recent Leadership Convention instigated some great forward thinking about the future challenges to sport and recreation and how they can be tackled.

Good leadership and governance are vital in ensuring a healthy and successful organisation (see our blog on organisational longevity), which ultimately, leads sporting success for the athletes and participants from grass roots to professional.

As luck would have it we’ve recently launched a refreshed version of the Voluntary Code of Good Governance and will be publishing some feedback on the success of the Code since its release in 2011. We hope to show how success in sport is, and can be, achieved from the top.

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