The Andarta Way

The solution lay in embracing principles over specific techniques which, often, are unique to a particular sport. Recognising the value of rest, recovery cycles, mental flow, optimised performance states, and understanding the biomechanics and energy requirements relevant to our profession has allowed us to tailor our training and activities more efficiently to the tasks we faced, and the requirements of our people. Crucially, we learned to accept 'better' over 'perfect,' acknowledging that operational demands might not always allow for optimal conditions in sleep, recovery, nutrition, and mental resilience. Yet striving for these goals whenever possible, and being cognisant of when we couldn’t, marked a significant improvement and led to a huge reduction in avoidable injuries.

How, then, is this relevant to high-performing executives? At Andarta, we embrace Lehrer and Schwartz’s concept of the ‘corporate athlete’ to highlight the need for executives, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to manage themselves with the same discipline and foresight as athletes, be they sporting or tactical. We find consistently that our experience of having both trained, and performed as, tactical athletes closely resemble the realities of high-performing executives. In many ways more so than that of traditional sporting athletes.

Business leaders and executives face unrelenting pressure and, like special operators, must perform consistently without the benefits of off-seasons or between-game breaks. Like tactical operators, the relentless pace of corporate and business life can make it feel impossible for them to pause, reflect, and modify their practices, leading to degradation of not only their performance but also their health, career longevity and well-being.

So, how do we transfer this understanding to help create and support the Corporate Athlete?

In both the tactical and corporate settings, our methodology extends beyond just enhancing physical and mental performance. With our heavy emphasis on longevity as a performance goal, we also focus on reducing the harmful effects of intense work and operational demands while maintaining the highest levels of capability. Tactical operators now train to help reduce the impacts of their chosen occupation on their health. So, similarly, Corporate Athletes need to address the deleterious effects of high stress, sedentary working, and unceasing pressure.

Every demanding leadership role creates a unique set of challenges across cross personal and professional lives. Managing this requires careful analysis. Of the executive’s specific work requirements and habits, travel schedules, balance between home and professional life, personal training routines, dietary preferences, and their starting point in terms of physical health, mental processes, and emotional well-being. But it’s crucial to understand that even small steps towards improvement can have significant benefits.

Crucially, akin to tactical athletes, corporate leaders must master the art of ‘oscillation’.’ This involves developing a rhythm between prolonged periods of intense stress and strategically planned, deliberate downtime no matter how brief. In designing performance programmes for Corporate Athletes, we first counteract the potentially negative impacts of their professional role, before then developing strategies to optimise cognitive performance. So, we develop personalised techniques that account for busy schedules, creating periods of cognitive down-time. This approach is key to maintaining long-term effectiveness and well-being in the high-stakes and isolating environments that both corporate and tactical athletes navigate.

We know that for executives and entrepreneurs, enhancing physical fitness isn’t just about being in shape; it plays a vital role in reducing stress, combating fatigue, and protecting against burnout. As always, finding time to sharpen the saw and engage with physical training is the greatest challenge for executives. So, we’ve developed strategies and programmes that account for this relentless time pressure. Using techniques such as ‘metabolic snacks’ and other tools to maximise physical fitness, even in busy environments, which we find lead to reduced stress, greater cognition and enhanced longevity.

Fine-tuning sleep patterns and aligning daily routines with the Corporate Athlete’s biological clock, while considering their work demands and personal goals, will enhance rest and recuperation. Paradoxically, by resting more efficiently, we increase our ability to work more effectively and increase output, longevity and career satisfaction. Addressing nutritional needs is also paramount. Again, it’s not just about eating healthy; it’s about identifying and correcting specific nutritional gaps through tailored testing and adjustment, to ensure that the body and mind are fuelled for the demands of peak performance.

Read time: 5 mins

Author:
Dr Jonathan Clark-McKellar

This tailored approach, when applied consistently, is how we believe executives can transform into corporate athletes, equipping them to tackle the high-pressure challenges of their roles with increased resilience, stamina, and efficiency. The goal is to create a sustainable model of high performance that aligns with each individual's unique professional and personal circumstances. Importantly this approach is not just about excelling in the present; the intent is to sustain high performance and well-being in the long run, ensuring the athlete - be they tactical or corporate - can continue to deliver and effectively thrive under high-pressure throughout their career while maintaining, and even improving, their health and longevity.