Why Leaders Should Borrow One Strategy Every Athlete Swears By
Nov 21, 2025
When you look at athletes, measuring success seems straightforward: home runs, touchdowns, yardage, points, fastest times, lowest scores. But when you actually talk to athletes, they rarely define success that way. They talk about the process:
Trust the process. Commit to the process. Double down on the process. Believe in the process.
It sounds cliché (and you might want to roll your eyes when you hear them say it) but it’s actually their most accurate measure of success because they can’t control outcomes — and neither can we. We’re all operating in the same reality: control what you can control, and let the process play out.
As we get close to the end of the year, the pressure ramps up. Finish strong. Hit the numbers. Close the gap. Those things matter, but they’re only part of the equation.
When you measure success only by the scoreboard, you limit where you can find wins. When you measure success by the process, you create more opportunities throughout the day to recognize progress, build momentum, and stay encouraged.
And here’s the part that often gets overlooked: an athlete’s process isn’t just game plans and reps. It’s nutrition, recovery, sleep, rest, mindset, routines. All the invisible work that makes the visible performance possible.
Leaders are no different.
If you want to practice leadership — and help emerging leaders do the same — start by evaluating the process behind your performance. Not just the tasks, but the habits, energy, clarity, communication, and boundaries that support them.
What is one part of your process that, if strengthened even slightly, would make you a better leader this week? (Think: rest, preparation, conversations you’ve been avoiding, clarity, delegation, routines.)
Pick one. Improve it by 1%. That’s practicing leadership.
