{"id":18717,"date":"2024-06-25T13:55:12","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T12:55:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=18717"},"modified":"2026-01-29T09:23:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T09:23:21","slug":"five-sporting-tips-for-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/five-sporting-tips-for-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Maggie Alphonsi: 5 sporting tips to apply in your business"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/growth-customers\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Growth &amp; Customers<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMaggie Alphonsi: 5 sporting tips to apply in your business\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2024-06-25T13:55:12+01:00\">25 June, 2024<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Maggie Alphonsi: 5 sporting tips to apply in your business\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/five-sporting-tips-for-business\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/kieronjohnson\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/01\/Kieron-Johnson-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"kieron-johnson-profile-picture\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/01\/Kieron-Johnson-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/01\/Kieron-Johnson.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Kieron Johnson<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Margaret Omotayo Sanni Alphonsi didn&#8217;t have the easiest start in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Raised by a single mother on a north London council estate, Margaret had a condition called talipes equinovarus (TEV) &#8211; more commonly known as club foot &#8211; a birth defect in her right foot that caused her to walk with a limp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a child, she spent several years in and out of hospital with doctors who desperately tried to straighten her foot, but to no avail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fast-forward a couple of decades and, with unparalleled dedication and resilience, Margaret overcame the limitations of her condition and morphed into <a href=\"https:\/\/maggiealphonsi.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Maggie &#8220;The Machine&#8221; Alphonsi<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Margaret is now a Hall of Fame rugby union player who represented England on no less than 74 memorable occasions, scored 28 exhilarating tries and was a key figure in the England team that lifted the 2014 World Cup in France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She even assisted the team in winning seven consecutive Guinness Six Nations championships &#8211; a groundbreaking record that stands to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After retiring from rugby in 2014, Maggie embarked on an athletics career, competing in the shotput. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shortly after retiring from professional sport two years later, she started commentating on live rugby matches and featured on various television programmes &#8211; from The One Show to Children In Need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Drawing on the many lessons learned from her illustrious rugby career, Maggie shares five sporting tips, which you can apply to your business today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-jump-to\">Jump to:<\/h4>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-1-creating-high-performing-teams\" data-level=\"2\">1. Creating high-performing teams<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#h-top-takeaway\" data-level=\"3\">Top takeaway<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-2-using-data-and-insights-for-preparation\" data-level=\"2\">2. Using data and insights for preparation<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#h-top-takeaway-0\" data-level=\"3\">Top takeaway<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-3-celebrating-victories\" data-level=\"2\">3. Celebrating victories<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#h-top-takeaway-1\" data-level=\"3\">Top takeaway<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-4-overcoming-challenges\" data-level=\"2\">4. Overcoming challenges<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#h-top-takeaway-2\" data-level=\"3\">Top takeaway<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-5-finding-support-to-elevate-business-performance\" data-level=\"2\">5. Finding support to elevate business performance<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#h-top-takeaway-3\" data-level=\"3\">Top takeaway<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-final-thoughts\" data-level=\"2\">Final thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">New to Sage Accounting?<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">If you\u2019re a VAT-registered sole trader or small business, learn how our plans can give you greater control of your finances, save you time, and simplify your work.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-16955\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Find out more<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1289906599-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1289906599-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-creating-high-performing-teams\">1. Creating high-performing teams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tip-find-your-why-and-share-it-with-your-team\">Tip: Find your &#8216;why&#8217; and share it with your team<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Ever since I read Patrick Lencioni&#8217;s book, The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team, I applied it throughout my rugby career,&#8221; says Maggie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The book, which is famously used by NFL coaches in the US, outlines the challenges teams encounter as they grow together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But ironically it was Simon Sinek&#8217;s business book, Start With Why, which really drove Maggie to the pinnacle of international sporting success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;When we won the World Cup in 2014, what got our team through was understanding each other&#8217;s &#8216;whys&#8217; &#8211; why we were driven to do what we do,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;My &#8216;why&#8217; has changed over the years. When I was playing rugby, it was wanting to do well, so I could make my mum proud. As a single parent, she pretty much gave up her life for me to be successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Once you&#8217;ve got a strong &#8216;why&#8217;, nothing can get in your way. It keeps you driven.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-top-takeaway\">Top takeaway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where your origin story comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take some time to reflect and have a think about what made you start your business in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Share (or re-share) your vision and mission with your team and set some business goals that align with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This process can potentially convert a task-driven team into a purpose-driven, high-performing one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-using-data-and-insights-for-preparation\">2. Using data and insights for preparation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tip-adopt-a-data-driven-approach-to-your-business-performance\">Tip: Adopt a data-driven approach to your business performance<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maggie is no stranger to number-crunching and applying the results to her performance &#8211; both as a player and a sports commentator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;As a player, I was frequently fed lots of data and insights to help me prepare for matches &#8211; for instance, my workload in the gym and on the field in terms of how many passes and tackles I made, how many metres I ran and so on,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;What was important for me was to find a way to digest all the insights and figure out how they related to my performance the next day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;For example, let&#8217;s say I worked really hard in the gym or on the field yesterday, the data insights may point to me potentially needing to rest and recover today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Similarly, before I commentate on a game, I take data from previous games and translate it into themes. This definitely adds to the viewers&#8217; experience because they&#8217;re getting more than just a game. They&#8217;re getting knowledge, expertise, things they can even talk about in the pub. Now, they can say a team is great not just for the sake of it, but because they do A, B and C.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-top-takeaway-0\">Top takeaway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/data-driven-decision-making-maximise-success\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">data<\/a> that is vital to the lifeline of your business, such as cash flow, profit margin and the cost of acquiring a new customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tracking your data is one thing, but it&#8217;s equally important to look for trends that inform your approach to marketing, developing products and allocating resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Always be prepared to adjust your strategy based on finding new information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Payroll<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Do you want to pay your people with confidence while complying with UK payroll laws? Find out more.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/payroll-software\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-4285\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Find out more<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"999\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/03\/SageZA_Employees_GU_25.10.13_0363_All-Uses.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Businesses should view GDPR in a positive light\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/03\/SageZA_Employees_GU_25.10.13_0363_All-Uses.jpg 999w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-celebrating-victories\">3. Celebrating victories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tip-mark-all-your-business-milestones\">Tip: Mark all your business milestones<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Celebrating a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/small-business-advice-five-milestones-to-celebrate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">business milestone<\/a> provides motivation and momentum, says Maggie, so it&#8217;s important to acknowledge all your victories &#8220;even if they&#8217;re small&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s also rejuvenating for you and your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She says: &#8220;If you don&#8217;t celebrate your successes, you&#8217;ll feel like you&#8217;re on a treadmill, which is quite tiring because, as an athlete, you never know when your next pause is going to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Acknowledge your wins and it will give you some respite before you go out again.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-top-takeaway-1\">Top takeaway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Set milestones that chronicle the progress of your business, such as reaching the break-even point, securing repeat business customers and diversifying your product or service line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Make celebrating all your victories become a habit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can always highlight your achievements in any number of ways such as during team meetings, in newsletters, on social media and the like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you hit a milestone, you can also schedule some downtime for yourself and your team to relax and unwind, so you&#8217;re all refreshed and ready to embrace the next challenge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyone for a team away day?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-overcoming-challenges\">4. Overcoming challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tip-adopt-a-mindset-of-continuous-development\">Tip: Adopt a mindset of continuous development<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During her sporting years, Maggie didn&#8217;t find it particularly difficult to pick herself up after a defeat &#8211; even a major one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Weirdly, it was easy for me to pick myself up after the lows of my rugby career,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;My natural mindset was to get back into the gym and on to the training field to show what I&#8217;m really capable of doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I&#8217;d watch the game, analyse my performance, consider all the practical things I could do to improve in the next game and spend my time working on those areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s typically how I&#8217;d bounce back.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What was more challenging for Maggie was lapsing into complacency after victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She says: &#8220;After a win, you can start to rest on your laurels a little bit. You almost become quite complacent. So, in my mind, I was always number two. I was never number one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;That way, I was always striving to be better than I was the day before.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-top-takeaway-2\">Top takeaway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In business, constant improvement is the order of the day &#8211; whether that&#8217;s your skill set, products or services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To stay ahead of the curve, it&#8217;s important to become your biggest critic by continually making an honest assessment of how your business is doing &#8211; warts and all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, invest in courses, tools and training and encourage your team to participate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you lead the way, they will, in all likelihood, follow you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-finding-support-to-elevate-business-performance\">5. Finding support to elevate business performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tip-find-trusted-advisers-who-challenge-you-to-think-differently\">Tip: Find trusted advisers who challenge you to think differently<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Coaches gave me different knowledge, expertise, perspectives and different ways of doing things,&#8221; says Maggie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Interestingly enough, the coaches that had the biggest impact on me weren&#8217;t the ones who told me what to do, but the ones who challenged my thinking and knew the right questions to ask in order to get me to reflect more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;They pretty much left me to develop my own ability and they didn&#8217;t always feel the need to give me the answers. I personally think it&#8217;s better to let people experience some autonomy and figure things out for themselves.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-top-takeaway-3\">Top takeaway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Embark on the journey of finding a business mentor, particularly one who is renowned for their lateral thinking not to mention outstanding results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It could be an accountant, who not only can offer support with tax returns and compliance requirements, but can also share advice that can help you grow your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then there are business mentors and coaches who can share advice and help you put plans in place to keep your business moving in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Need support with payroll processes or managing your people? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look no further than HR and payroll experts, who will be in the perfect position to help you overcome challenges in these areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But be mindful that you&#8217;re willing to be open and receptive to probing questions that encourage you to reflect on your talent, ability, work ethic and results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-thoughts\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finding the right support for your business is only half the battle. Then, it&#8217;s up to you to bring all these resources together and make them work for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Here are Maggie&#8217;s three top tips to keep you focused in and out of the boardroom.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;<strong>Firstly<\/strong>, as a leader, it&#8217;s really important to treat people as individuals rather than as a collective. Take a customised approach to each person you meet, get to know them as well as possible and find out what makes them tick,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;With certain people, there are seasons. There&#8217;s a time to put your arm around them, there&#8217;s another time to push them and yet another time to pull them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;<strong>Secondly,<\/strong> step outside your comfort zone. When leaders do this regularly, they indirectly encourage the people around them to do exactly the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;<strong>Thirdly<\/strong>, create &#8216;Team YOU&#8217;. In other words, surround yourself with people who are going to do their level best to help you become the best version of yourself.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For some business purists, sports and business are completely different disciplines and never the two shall meet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But this perspective discounts the many valuable business lessons that some elite sportspeople &#8211; past and present &#8211; can teach us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After all, there&#8217;s no shortage of sports personalities who have made a successful transition to entrepreneurship and other business ventures &#8211; oftentimes, on account of the very skills they honed during their sporting careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maggie is just one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/grow-business\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to grow your business\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-13339 post type-post status-publish format-audio has-post-thumbnail hentry category-growth-customers tag-freelancers tag-grow-business tag-sound-advice-podcast tag-startup-stories post_format-post-format-audio business_type-small-business card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"810\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/11\/Blog_Episode-50-810x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Kate Bassett\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/11\/Blog_Episode-50-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/11\/Blog_Episode-50-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/11\/Blog_Episode-50-810x810.jpg 810w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" class=\"card-post__meta-icon svg-icon\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" 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.25.102.25.25V11h-6V3.25c0-.148.102-.25.25-.25m-4.012 7.989a.75.75 0 0 0-.739.761v4.5A4.76 4.76 0 0 0 9.749 21h2v2a.76.76 0 0 0 .216.537.74.74 0 0 0 .534.223.76.76 0 0 0 .535-.223.74.74 0 0 0 .216-.537v-2h2A4.76 4.76 0 0 0 20 16.25v-4.5a.76.76 0 0 0-.216-.537.74.74 0 0 0-.535-.223.75.75 0 0 0-.75.76v4.5a3.24 3.24 0 0 1-3.25 3.25h-5.5a3.24 3.24 0 0 1-3.25-3.25v-4.5a.755.755 0 0 0-.469-.707.8.8 0 0 0-.293-.055zM9.5 12.5h6v3.75c0 .147-.102.25-.25.25h-5.5a.24.24 0 0 1-.25-.25zm3 1a.997.997 0 0 0-1 1 .997.997 0 0 0 1 1 .997.997 0 0 0 1-1 .997.997 0 0 0-1-1\" \/><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-10T14:27:37+01:00\">10 August, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">41 min 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alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/MicrosoftTeams-image-4-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/MicrosoftTeams-image-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/MicrosoftTeams-image-4-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-05T16:05:53+01:00\">5 August, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">14 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow to find employees\u00a0for your business\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-4707 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-growth-customers tag-grow-business business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/business-growth-challenges\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/09\/GettyImages-554995563_super-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"One of your business growth challenges could be dealing with a growing workforce\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/09\/GettyImages-554995563_super-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/09\/GettyImages-554995563_super-768x585.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/09\/GettyImages-554995563_super-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-05T16:03:21+01:00\">5 August, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">10 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tObstacles to business growth\u00a0and\u00a0how to overcome them\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rugby legend turned sports commentator Maggie Alphonsi shares some sporting gems that may just help your small business strike 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