This summer, as the World Cup fills stadiums across North America, fans will witness extraordinary displays of skill, speed, and teamwork. But elite athletes know that peak performance is built long before the match begins—through disciplined training, clear goals, expert coaching, and consistent execution over time. What might business leaders learn from that approach?
Senior Partners Bjørnar Jensen, Martin Hartenstein, Sébastien Lacroix, and coauthors argue that business leaders have much to gain from the athlete’s mindset. The same disciplines that drive athletic performance—clear goals, rigorous preparation, expert support, and continuous improvement—can also help organizations navigate digital and AI transformations. Leaders can define clear objectives and metrics, build the right support systems, and balance periods of intense effort with reflection and adjustment—all of which help organizations sustain momentum and capture lasting value.
“For a few business leaders,” the article notes, “looking at their company through that lens has helped them drive transformation breakthroughs that previously seemed impossible.”
Explore the insights below to learn more about connections between sports and business.
The athlete’s mindset for digital and AI transformation
How Team Visma | Lease a Bike and McKinsey are racing smarter with AI
Closing the monetization gap in women’s sports: A $2.5 billion opportunity
Sporting Goods 2025—The new balancing act: Turning uncertainty into opportunity
Talent wins: The growing business of women’s sports
The CEO as elite athlete: What business leaders can learn from modern sports
In the long run: What leaders can learn from an Olympic gold medalist