Sport and business: unlocking high-performance cultures
Date published:
Lessons from elite sports and business leaders on fostering winning teams.
On January 29, the North East Chamber of Commerce hosted an event titled “Sport and Business: Enabling High-Performance Workplaces” at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland. The event aimed to explore the connections between professional sports and business, focusing on how organisations can foster high-performance cultures.
The discussion featured two engaging panels. The first panel brought together influential figures from the world of sports, including Marcus North, Director of Cricket at Durham Cricket, Nikki Hutchinson, Project Manager at England Golf, Su Cumming, Head of Women’s Football at Newcastle United, and Mel Reay and Steph Libbey, Head Coach and Assistant Head Coach of Sunderland AFC Women, respectively. They shared their expertise on developing a high-performance mindset, drawing from their experiences in elite sports environments and illustrating how those principles translate into business success.
The second panel featured business and academic leaders who provided insights into fostering high-performance cultures within workplaces. Gerard Garvey, Executive Principal – People and Culture at NCG, Nicola Leyden, Director of HR at Muckle LLP, and Jeanette Matthews, L&D Partner at Talentheads, discussed effective strategies for optimising team dynamics and enhancing workplace productivity.
Lisa Burt, a Chartered Management Level 7 Certified Leadership Coach & Mentor, moderated the event. Drawing on her extensive 35-year corporate career across customer service, technology service management, and HR operations, she emphasised the importance of trust as the foundation of high-performing teams. She highlighted that truly successful teams share a common vision, goals, and values, not just in theory but in practice, embedding these behaviours into their daily interactions rather than limiting them to annual performance reviews.
Lisa referenced Patrick Lencioni’s “Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” explaining that teams built on trust engage in healthy, unfiltered debate, commit to decisions, hold each other accountable, and focus on achieving collective success. She also underscored the crucial role of leadership in cultivating high-performance cultures. Strong leaders lead by example, communicate openly and honestly, and deliver difficult messages with empathy. They create environments where team members feel empowered to make decisions without fear, where failure is seen as a learning opportunity, and where continuous growth is encouraged.
The event provided attendees with real-world examples of high-performance workplaces, insights into implementing effective strategies, and practical advice that can be applied in business settings.