{"id":22419,"date":"2025-05-22T14:03:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T13:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=22419"},"modified":"2025-05-22T15:37:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T14:37:18","slug":"high-performance-under-pressure-businesses-elite-sport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/high-performance-under-pressure-businesses-elite-sport\/","title":{"rendered":"High performance under pressure: What businesses can learn from elite sport"},"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\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/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\tHigh performance under pressure: What businesses can learn from elite sport\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<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-05-22T14:03:10+01:00\">22 May, 2025<\/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=\"High performance under pressure: What businesses can learn from elite sport\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/high-performance-under-pressure-businesses-elite-sport\/\"\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<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\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\/asavinwattanajantra\/\">\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\/2026\/03\/Asavin-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Asavin\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/03\/Asavin-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/03\/Asavin-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/03\/Asavin-810x810.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/03\/Asavin.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Asavin Wattanajantra<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>What do world-class athletes know about high performance that business leaders might overlook?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/accountex-ai-future\/\">Accountex London 2025<\/a>, three elite competitors\u2014Stuart Broad, Bryan Habana, and Ebony Rainford-Brent\u2014sat down for a powerhouse panel on how data, innovation, and mindset fuel high performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hosted by Kirsty Waller, VP of regional performance marketing at Sage, the session explored what accountants and business leaders can learn from sport about staying sharp, adapting fast, and thriving under pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we highlight some key insights they shared and talk about how you can apply their lessons to your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s what we cover:<\/p>\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-mentorship-mindset-and-the-small-daily-wins\" data-level=\"2\">Mentorship, mindset, and the small daily wins<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-ai-coach-how-data-sharpens-instinct\" data-level=\"2\">The AI coach: How data sharpens instinct<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-instinct-versus-insight-filter-what-matters\" data-level=\"2\">Instinct versus insight: Filter what matters<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-resilience-and-reinvention\" data-level=\"2\">Resilience and reinvention<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-accountants-and-business-leaders-can-become-high-performers\" data-level=\"2\">How accountants and business leaders can become high performers<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-bringing-it-home-the-high-performance-mindset-in-business\" data-level=\"2\">Bringing it home: The high-performance mindset in business<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#h-3-final-insights-from-ebony-bryan-and-stuart\" data-level=\"3\">3 final insights from Ebony, Bryan, and Stuart<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-final-thoughts\" data-level=\"2\">Final thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-mentorship-mindset-and-the-small-daily-wins\">Mentorship, mindset, and the small daily wins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cricket legend Stuart Broad opened with a story from his school days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said, \u201cThe best advice I ever got was to become the best filter I could.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As his career progressed, that meant filtering out distractions\u2014from media noise to self-doubt\u2014and focusing on how he wanted to behave each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His method?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daily notes, written by hand, about the energy he wanted to bring and the leader he wanted to be\u2014regardless of outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stuart explained, \u201cEvery morning, I wrote down how I wanted to behave. It was never about performance, just energy and positivity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fellow former England cricket star and commentator Ebony Rainford-Brent shared a similar approach. \u201cI was all over the place as a kid,\u201d she said, \u201cbut once I learned how to prepare properly, everything changed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ebony\u2019s career was shaped not just by talent, but by the ability to refocus after setbacks\u2014and to keep showing up with purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For South Africa Rugby World Cup winner Bryan Habana, mindset was inseparable from motivation. He said: \u201cTrain as though you\u2019re number two, even when you\u2019re number one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This hunger for improvement helped him make the leap from World Cup rugby star to fintech entrepreneur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-ai-coach-how-data-sharpens-instinct\">The AI coach: How data sharpens instinct<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Data increasingly drives modern sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From visual training tech in rugby to AI-based recovery tools in cricket, today\u2019s athletes use insights to sharpen instincts, not replace them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAI is becoming the unseen coach,\u201d Bryan noted. But he also warned of overreliance and \u2018paralysis by analysis\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said, \u201cStats told me opponents were running more than me\u2014but I was scoring more tries. Context matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This tension\u2014between trusting the data and trusting yourself\u2014applies just as much to business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From visual training tools to recovery planning, AI enables elite athletes to track trends, refine decisions, and personalise performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But no one on the panel saw data as a replacement for human intuition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In accounting, AI tools such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-copilot\/\">Sage Copilot<\/a> are helping finance teams automate admin and surface insights in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the best decisions still rely on human judgement, especially when the pressure\u2019s on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-instinct-versus-insight-filter-what-matters\">Instinct versus insight: Filter what matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For Stuart, data was the spark for transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After being told he underperformed against left-handed batters, he spent months rebuilding his technique and reduced his bowling average against them from 37 to 17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Ebony offered a word of caution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She said, \u201cIn my early career, I relied too much on data. I once ignored the conditions and trusted the model. It backfired.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She recalled a match where a data model predicted anything above 280 would be a winning score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI walked out thinking we had it in the bag,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t read the pitch or the opposition. They chased it in half the time. I looked like a complete idiot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The experience taught her to combine data with instinct\u2014and always read the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over time, she embraced the 80\/20 rule\u2014that 80% of results come from 20% of inputs. She focused on identifying what moved the needle and letting the rest go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lesson: don\u2019t just collect data\u2014curate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-resilience-and-reinvention\">Resilience and reinvention<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Success isn\u2019t linear. All three athletes shared moments of doubt, injury, and failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Bryan, it was being booed off the field in front of 23,000 fans. For Ebony, it was injury and near-retirement. And for Stuart, it was the humbling experience of being hit all over the park in Durban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each of them turned setbacks into fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou wake up and choose your mindset,\u201d said Bryan. \u201cWhether it\u2019s a match day or a Monday morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That mindset now powers their business ventures, from Stuart\u2019s hospitality business to Ebony\u2019s AI-led coaching project, which uses tech to democratise access to cricket for thousands of underrepresented kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-accountants-and-business-leaders-can-become-high-performers\">How accountants and business leaders can become high performers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what does all this mean for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Prepare like a pro:<\/strong> it\u2019s not just about what you know, it\u2019s how you apply it. Use the data, but trust your process.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Adopt smart tools:<\/strong> AI can be an ally. With tools such as Sage Copilot, you can automate routine admin tasks\u2014like data entry and report generation\u2014so you can focus on higher-value work such as \u00a0cash flow forecasting, scenario planning, and client advisory services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Build mental muscle:<\/strong> high performers aren\u2019t born, they&#8217;re trained. Just as athletes rely on routines and coaching, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/intacct\/\">finance professionals<\/a> need workflows and tools that help them stay resilient and consistent\u2014especially when deadlines hit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Keep evolving:<\/strong> standing still is falling behind. Stay curious. Keep up with regulatory changes such as Making Tax Digital, explore new ways to deliver advisory services, and experiment with tools like AI to offer deeper insights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Stay ready:<\/strong> be prepared for shifting client expectations, faster reporting cycles, and a more strategic role in business decision-making.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bringing-it-home-the-high-performance-mindset-in-business\">Bringing it home: The high-performance mindset in business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you\u2019re bowling at the Melbourne Cricket Ground or closing out quarter-end, performance is built on habits, tools, and mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the pitch or in the boardroom, high performance comes down to three things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Insight:<\/strong> understand what matters most.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Preparation:<\/strong> build the habits that show up under pressure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Execution:<\/strong> move fast, adapt fast, and lead with intent.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-final-insights-from-ebony-bryan-and-stuart\">3 final insights from Ebony, Bryan, and Stuart<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cIn sport, you\u2019re forced to maximise your team\u2019s strengths. Business should be the same.\u201d<\/p><cite>Ebony Rainford-Brent<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cExecution is everything. Insight is useless if you can\u2019t act on it fast.\u201d<\/p><cite>Bryan Habana<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cEvery day, I chose how I wanted to show up\u2014on the field, in the changing room, or in the pub I now help run.\u201d<\/p><cite>Stuart Broad<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-thoughts\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Sage high performance panel was a clear reminder that mindset, resilience, and the right tools create the conditions for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sport and business may have different rules, but the best leaders learn to train, think, and perform like athletes, using the highest performing tools to help them.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former sports stars Stuart Broad, Bryan Habana, and Ebony Rainford-Brent share lessons that can help accountants and business leaders thrive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":356,"featured_media":22430,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[223,50,180,15],"business_type":[4,3,115],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[67,68,71,73,74,75],"imagine_tag":[220,309,96,109],"coauthors":[351],"class_list":["post-22419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","tag-accountant-accounting","tag-ai","tag-business-performance","tag-grow-business","business_type-small-business","business_type-medium-sized-business","business_type-accountants"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Asavin Wattanajantra","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/05\/Stuart-Broad-Ebony-Rainford-Brent-Bryan-Habana.jpg","imagine_tags":{"220":"Accountant accounting","309":"AI Hub","96":"Medium businesses","109":"Small business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/356"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22419"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22419\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/22430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22419"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=22419"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=22419"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=22419"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=22419"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=22419"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=22419"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=22419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}