I love watching sports – the players are always so in-the-moment, they are future focussed (i.e. where the ball is going not where it was, where the game is going, not where it was) and I’ve been thinking about how athletes and leaders have much in common in terms of discipline and focus. 

Two days ago, Ana Botin, who heads up Banco Santander, offered Rafa a job with the company when he retires.  What she said about Rafa and what he can teach us resonated with me, and I thought I would share them with you.  The bullets are not my words they are hers. (but I totally relate!)

• If you overthink the last point, you won’t be prepared for the next one.
• Learn to forgive yourself, accept and control frustration, and keep working to improve.
• Step-by-step, try to find a solution in every moment.
• Don’t rush to success. Achieving your goals requires hard work, patience, and a long-term commitment.
• Even with a winning strategy, you will not win every match. Accept it.
• To be the best, you don’t have to have all the answers. Lean on your team, and let them speak up.
• And a piece of sage advice from his father: observe everything and everyone around you carefully, take the good things and discard the bad ones.

If you would like to see her post and watch the video, click here. 

All the best,