Sports teams as a model for workplace teams: Lessons and liabilities

Abstract

Executive Overview Over the last decade, the management literature has been flooded with books by prominent sports figures, promising to share the secrets of building a winning team. Managers often look to sports for inspirational examples and useful models of teamwork. What exactly can managers learn from sports about leading a high-performance team? The purpose of this article is to help managers derive maximum value from sports-team comparisons. It identifies seven lessons on how to motivate the members of a team and how to structure a team and its work. Managers also need to be aware, however, of the liabilities of drawing on sports references. When used inappropriately, sports comparisons can lead managers and their employees astray. Four critical liabilities are discussed and suggestions are provided for avoiding these risks.