Implementing Strategy Six Lessons from Sports

Exercising is an excellent opportunity not only to stay healthy, but also teaches you a lot about implementation of strategies:

1. An organisation is like an organism
2. Habits and context matter
3. You cannot go “all-in” all of the time…
4. … but when you work out, you focus and give all you can
5. Measurement is important
6. The last rep (repetition) is the moment of truth

Let us now look at these lessons bit by bit.

Six strategy lessons from sports

Lesson 1: An organisation is like an organism

At first sight, sports seem like an easy endeavour: You simply start running. Well, actually, it is not that simple. We can easily overwork particular muscles if we push too hard. And our bodies are complex organisms. We have different groups of muscles, so we need to balance our exercises. So you have to keep doing sports, but accept that your body might feel different on some days. Setbacks are part of the process: You sometimes need to focus on another group of muscles first, or even not exercise for a day or two. But ultimately, when you stay persistent and listen to your body, you will become stronger over time.

Lesson for implementing strategy: An organisation is not a machine, but a living organism. It has many parts working together, all of which need to be in balance. Sometimes, this means that we need to focus on one aspect first. For example, when you want to implement human-centered strategy but realise that other teams are stressed, you cannot simply confront them with further requests to enhance something. It is simply too much, they are already overworked. But you could share positive customer testimonials: Tell them what works well, as this will build up motivational energy. When you have enough of this energy, you can start working on enhancing work practices again. There is not a straight line that leads to strategic success: Accept that there are times for recharging, setbacks, and times when the organisation feels resistant. This is normal. But do not let go. Do what is best at this moment, and then start pushing again when the time is right.

Lesson 2: Habits and context matter

As living organisms, our motivation can go up and down. Therefore, building habits is very important in sports. When we invest the mental energy to push us to doing sports, there will come a time where doing sports starts to feel natural: It becomes our innate drive, like a part of our identity. In addition, it is important that we create a context where doing sports becomes easy for us, whether it is with friends, music, or apps. Actively identifying which habits and context we need to keep doing sports is an important step. And it also gives us power to change our environment to support us in keeping up with the work.

Lesson for implementing strategy: Keep referring back to your strategy and use appropriate methods like Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to build the habit of working strategically. Do not allow daily business to distract you from your strategy. It must be your north star. But at some point, when you keep doing this, it will become natural to work strategically. Also, set up your environment in a way that supports your strategy. There are many options: Tie strategic goals to your performance evaluation, involve other people to work together on strategic goals, or block time to work on strategic goals (which might mean turning off your email notifications or even going somewhere else than usual). Set up the context to make your strategy become a reality.

Lesson 3: You cannot go “all-in” all of the time…

Doing more does not equal achieving better results. Training includes time for rest and recovery—this is the time when your body repairs and adapts. Without adequate recovery, chances are that your performance is declining.

Lesson for implementing strategy: Strategy is a marathon, not a sprint. Rather than pushing relentlessly, include time for reflection, learning, and consolidation. Celebrate wins, catch your breath, and slow down when you work on something new or when the complexity is rising. This is not being lazy: It is when you identify what works in your strategy, what does not work, and how you could adapt it to grow again.

Lesson 4: … but when you work out, you focus and give all you can

In sports, you invest your energy in the moment. You give it all you have. You push through. Of course, sometimes you have to allocate your power, making sure that you still have enough energy left on the final rounds. Still, when you exercise, you go to your limit. When it feels easy and you could still continue after your exercise, chances are it was not hard enough and you should keep doing it.

Lesson for implementing strategy: People often ask: “How much effort should I put into this?” But when a goal is strategic, you simply give it all you have. This requires focus: Your energy is limited. You need to put it where it counts. So ask yourself what really makes a difference. When you have found this, push through.

Lesson 5: Measurement is important

Doing sports is not simply about “doing more” or “trying harder”. Instead, it is a very delicate balance called “progressive overload”: We need to get out of our comfort zone to grow, but also know when it is enough. Such progressive overload needs measurement. If we do not track our progress and relevant metrics, such as number of repetitions, heart rate, lifted weight, or pace, we simply do not know whether we are progressing. And we also need this information readily available in the moment when it counts, during the workout.

Lesson for implementing strategy: No strategy without continuous tracking of relevant data. We need to define what success looks like, track relevant metrics, and review our progress consistently. This is the feedback loop that executing strategy needs. And we also need to put a relevant dashboard in place with meaningful data that actually supports our strategic objectives.

Lesson 6: The last rep (repetition) is the moment of truth

Doing sports is not about talking. Saying that I am exercising will not make me stronger, faster, or healthier. And if we are honest, I am also not getting stronger, faster, or healthier when running the first kilometer or doing the first two pushups. This is part of it, but it is not what counts. What counts is the moments when it starts to hurt. These are the “money reps” (short for repetitions). This is where my muscles get closer to their maximum. And this is where I grow ultimately, and overall strengthen my organism.

Lesson for implementing strategy: Strategy is very similar to this. I have never met an organisation who said something like “We do not care about customers” or “Product quality is not important”. But let us look at the moments when it hurts. Does the organisation go the extra mile to make life easier for their customers? Or is it the customer who has to do it? Does the organisation invest in product quality, even if it makes the organisations’ work harder? These are the decisive moments for making strategy happen, every day, with every rep. And this is when the organisation ultimately becomes better.

Conclusion

These six lessons have changed my thinking about strategy implementation. The parallels between sports and strategy are not coincidences: Both require us to work with living organisms, build sustainable practices, and invest all our efforts when it matters. The question is not whether your strategy is good enough. The question is: are you willing to do the reps?