The Corporate Athletes
Have you heard of the term “corporate athlete”?
After the research of two psychologists and writers, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, the term was brought to light in a study in 2001. It creates a comparison between athletes and what we can define as “corporate athletes,” or, in other words, as individuals striving for consistent, excellent performance over a long span of time.
For many executives and their employees, sustained and effective performance under pressure and over time is the ultimate goal—and yet it remains incredibly elusive. As many employees find themselves increasingly guided by an unsustainable pace and the demands of being available around the clock, it’s not uncommon for employees to push themselves to extremes and become burned out.
What’s the Performance Pyramid?
In 2001, Loehr and Schwartz likened employees striving for high performance and leadership to athletes in training. When comparing corporate athletes to physical athletes, there was one key element that was crucial—a holistic approach that emphasizes the body, the mind, the skills, and the spirit.
They created a hierarchy called the “performance pyramid.” Each of its levels—spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical—work symbiotically to create the overall corporate identity and promote healthy balance and effective communication. In order to create an environment that encourages high performance, Loehr and Schwartz suggest that corporate athletes take a systematic and holistic approach to their “training,” just like professional athletes.
Over time, Loehr and Schwartz have tested this theory on thousands of executives, citing increased work performance and improved health and wellness as the primary results.
Here’s how to find your Ideal Performance State.
As Loehr and Schwartz outline in their research, achieving the Ideal Performance State (IPS) requires a holistic approach to all aspects of the body, both concrete and abstract. Employees can perform successfully even if they don’t care for their wellbeing and health. However, as Loehr and Schwartz articulate, they will be unable to perform at their full potential unless they’re actively practicing and developing at all levels of the performance pyramid.
For many employees who lack a work-life balance or find themselves utterly exhausted by the day to day pressure of work, reevaluating their work performance may be a good option. By tapping into the continuous and positive flow of energy in the performance pyramid, employees can perform consistently and actively—without detriment to their own mental health and wellbeing or their social and family life.
Identify your physical capacity.
When taking the Loehr and Schwartz approach, training starts at the physical level. This is due to the nature of the body as being a fundamental—and necessary—source of energy. The body serves as a foundation and achieving physical health is often the first step. Although this often includes physical fitness, it also takes into account a person’s sleep schedule and dietary habits.
Build your emotional capacity.
Next in the performance pyramid comes emotional capacity, defined as an employee’s internal climate. During the research of the study, athletes often remarked that they felt calm, engaged, and confident. In an Ideal Performance State, many individuals—ranging from professional athletes to military personnel to corporate executives—used similar words to describe how they felt during their peak performance.
When it comes to emotions, it’s essential to be mindful of the particular effects that emotions have on the body and on the mind. Negative emotions, such as frustration, fear, resentment, drain a person’s energy, can cause mental health issues, and can result in physical manifestations.
Building emotional capacity can be a challenge for some individuals, especially those who function daily with high amounts of anxiety, anger, or fear about their tasks or about their future. One simple way to counteract certain negative emotions and increase emotional calmness is to listen to music. It can result in mental shifts that can alter the body’s ingrained response.
Understand your mental capacity.
The third level of the performance pyramid is the cognitive, mental capacity of an employee’s brain. When it comes to corporate athletes, this often includes focus, motivation, and time management skills.
For many stressed employees, practicing a few moments of meditation or mindfulness can be a tremendous help when promoting energy recovery and relaxation. Next time you’re in a stressful situation or feeling drained of energy, take a few moments to sit quietly with yourself and breathe deeply. Some employees may find taking a short walk around the block or leaving on a lunch break to be incredibly invigorating and to allow them to rebalance and prioritize their day.
Meet your spiritual capacity.
“Spiritual” is a word that often causes people to look the other way and disengage. Especially in corporate environments, the discussion of the spiritual may prompt confusion about its application. However, according to the research done by Loehr and Schwartz, spiritual capacity simply means the energy that is unlocked by tapping into one’s deepest values and finding a sense of purpose.
Practicing rituals that give employees a chance to be reflective and introspective are important. Activities like journaling, meditating, or volunteer work can help create a stronger sense of one’s purpose and allow time and space to actively process it. Work interactions that focus on gratitude can also be a source of stress-relief.
What’s next?
In a corporate environment, it can be incredibly challenging to find the time and flexibility to make room for yourself and your needs. If you’re thinking about helping yourself or other employees find their peak performance and truly give their existence a holistic evaluation, consider reviewing what it takes to become a healthy and happy corporate athlete.