Search
Close this search box.
Blog » Annuities » How Playing Sports can Help your Business Career

How Playing Sports can Help your Business Career

I’ve played competitive sports my whole life and still continue to play recreationally. Sports are great for having fun and exercising, but they are also great for fine tuning skills off the field. There are many parallels that can be drawn between competitive sports and business. The reason I say competitive, is because there is a large difference between playing for “fun” and playing to “win”. In business, we typically play to “win” hence the the distinction of competitive sports. Here are some ways in which playing on one of these teams can positively influence your business career:

Achievement Driven

Sports are very achievement driven. Achievements are given to both the team and individual players. Typically teams play to win championships or titles and individuals strive to win awards recognizing stellar performance. The ability to win these various awards is a huge incentive to perform both on a personal level and as a team. This same concept applies to business. Every individual team member must b  striving to do their best while working as a cohesive unit. You’re achievements are met when your team can hit certain milestones, like revenue and or customer targets. Individually, your achievements may be rewarded in the form of a promotion or raise in pay. These skills can be taught both in the office and on the field.

Leadership

Every great sports team has a leader, they are typically named the “Captain” of the team. When times are hard, these individuals are expected to step-up and lead their team even under the harshest circumstances. Leadership is hugely important in business. Even if you aren’t a natural leader yourself, it is still very important to be able to identify individuals with leadership qualities and position them accordingly within your business and or life. A strong leader will not only attract others to want to work with you but will also keep team morale high even during the rough patches. Strong leadership qualities will take you far in every facet of life, always look to improve your ability to lead and inspire others, especially in business.

Communication

Communication is key on any sports team. No team-sport is won by an individual, success relies on strong team chemistry. A large part of team chemistry is how they are able to communicate with one another. This can be compared to the business world as well. Business is all about using your network to your advantage and reaching out to those who can help push you forward. Communication is the key to utilizing your network and working efficiently amongst your team. I started to learn these basic communication skills when I was six years old playing on my first soccer team, and i’ve been taking every opportunity on and off the field to improve them.

It is important to constantly look to learn new skills no matter what activity or profession you are working in. More often than not, you can draw parallels between activities and apply skills you learn from one into another. The parallel between sports and business is fairly clear, and there are plenty more comparisons to be made. These were just a few to take note of, and if you are or were an athlete, apply to your business career.

About Due’s Editorial Process

We uphold a strict editorial policy that focuses on factual accuracy, relevance, and impartiality. Our content, created by leading finance and industry experts, is reviewed by a team of seasoned editors to ensure compliance with the highest standards in reporting and publishing.

TAGS
Former CTO at Due
I’m Chalmers Brown and former CTO of Due. I’m a big fan of technology and building financial products that help people better their lives. I have a passion for financial products that help people. I build complex financial infrastructure protocols that help scale financial companies. They are secure and support millions of customers worldwide.

About Due

Due makes it easier to retire on your terms. We give you a realistic view on exactly where you’re at financially so when you retire you know how much money you’ll get each month. Get started today.

Categories

Top Trending Posts

Due Fact-Checking Standards and Processes

To ensure we’re putting out the highest content standards, we sought out the help of certified financial experts and accredited individuals to verify our advice. We also rely on them for the most up to date information and data to make sure our in-depth research has the facts right, for today… Not yesterday. Our financial expert review board allows our readers to not only trust the information they are reading but to act on it as well. Most of our authors are CFP (Certified Financial Planners) or CRPC (Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor) certified and all have college degrees. Learn more about annuities, retirement advice and take the correct steps towards financial freedom and knowing exactly where you stand today. Learn everything about our top-notch financial expert reviews below… Learn More