The Corporate Athlete

Back in 2001 Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz published a highly influential article in the Harvard Business Review: “The Making of a Corporate Athlete”. It was the first major publication to apply the learnings gained in training and managing world-class athletes to the corporate world. Here we are, 20 years later, and their words could not be more relevant.

My experience in the world of professional cycling has made it clear that an athlete cannot be expected to perform at their peak for an extended period without adequate recovery. Those that try will rapidly find themselves in the clutches of Overtraining Syndrome (OTS), a complex, multi-system state resulting in a decline in performance despite an increase in training. OTS can take months or even years to resolve and some athletes never get back to their best. The Tour de France champions know that they can only be at their very best for a 1 or 2 month period in the season and their training is solely focused on bringing on that peak at the correct time.

Why then are execs in the corporate world expected to perform at their best day in and day out for years on end? Frequently, workaholism is worn as a badge of honour and employees compete to be seen as working more and sleeping less than their peers. OTS has an equivalent in the corporate world and it’s called burnout.

How many of the following boxes can you tick?

• Feeling constantly tired
• A lack of motivation
• Frequent frustration and cynicism
• Cognitive problems such as forgetfulness or inability to think clearly
• Sliding job performance despite long hours
• Unhealthy coping strategies such as drinking, smoking or self-medication
• Frequent conflicts with co-workers
• A preoccupation with work even when you aren’t at work.
• Decreased satisfaction at home or at work
• Health problems like hypertension, heart disease, type II diabetes.

These symptoms can be urgent warning signals that it is time to make a change. But where to start?

Loehr and Schwartz describe “The High Performance Pyramid” approach to avoiding and treating burnout in the corporate world. And like all good pyramids, it is broader at the bottom than at the top. The component forming the very base layer of the pyramid which is fundamental to being able to address the other components is Physical Capacity. You must periodically stress your body physically in order to develop your physical capacity.

Counter-intuitively, burning some energy on the tarmac or in the gym in the morning will give you more energy for that afternoon board-meeting, not less. Exercise is like the vitamin supplement in a well-known advert, except that it really does work.

Let Strove help you build the base of your pyramid and avoid burnout. A happier, healthier, more motivated and higher performing you is within reach

Dr Jarrad Van Zuydam | Sport & Exercise Medicine Physician