Ian Brett: Why self-awareness is key to mental toughness in both elite sport and work

As thousands of elite athletes from around the world compete in Paris at the Summer Olympics, it’s increasingly clear that psychology plays a critical role in performance. Motivation, discipline and dedication, mindset and mental toughness are all just as important as physical prowess. Indeed, when all things are equal, it’s the mental game that makes the difference between winning and losing.

Former world number one and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic said, “If we all trained our minds as much as we are training our muscles and physical body, I think we would achieve and maximise our potential.”

It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that more and more athletes are investing as much time and money in the mental side of sport, as well as the physical.

Similarly, in the world of work, there is an increasing awareness of, and recognition of the importance of, coaching to improve individual and team wellbeing and performance, around areas like growth mindset. According to Deloitte’s employee well-being survey, 78% of organisations around the world believe that ensuring the wellbeing of employees is one of the drivers of organisational performance.

At Insights we know from our work with elite sports professionals and some of the world’s leading organisations that awareness is a vital component in developing mental toughness. Awareness of self, and others, underpins our cognitive-behavioural processes and allows us, as human beings, to manage our understanding, attitude, and behaviours so that we can realise our true potential. Within both elite sports and workplace teams, every individual and collective advantage gained can make a vital difference in outperforming competitors and maintaining peak performance.

Here are some actions to help leaders and individuals develop mental toughness, in sport and the workplace.

Develop the human-being first

Each sportsperson, or, in this case employee, possesses a unique blend of preferences, values, and behaviours that set them apart from others. Understanding and reflecting on these aspects of yourself, through dedicated personal development, enables self-awareness, which can unlock breakthrough solutions to various challenges. So, start with self-awareness.

Self-awareness is not an innate skill but one that is honed over time. While we naturally develop an awareness of ourselves as distinct from others and an awareness of our environment as we grow, true self-awareness requires individual effort and continuous investment. Whether you’re an athlete seeking to elevate your game or a manager striving for better performance, dedicating quality time to cultivate this skill is essential.

Founder of analytical psychology Carl Jung said, “There is no cure and no improving of the world that does not begin with the individual himself.”

Understand and nurture your strengths

As with sport, there’s a tendency in the world of work to focus on addressing our weaknesses. However, I believe it’s as important, if not even more important, to understand and nurture your strengths.

Often, in sport and work, once we feel capable enough to meet our goals, we stop improving our skills and rely on our existing toolkit to deliver results. However, refining our skills and moving from ‘good’ to ‘great’ is just as critical as developing skills and moving from ‘zero’ to ‘good’. That’s because continual improvement in areas where we already excel can significantly enhance our performance.

For instance, developing presentation skills should be as important for those who feel comfortable presenting in front of a crowd as it is for those who prefer a smaller audience. Similarly, perfecting a backhand in tennis or a left-footed strike in football should be prioritised equally for those who find it easy and those who don’t.

So, how do we understand and nurture our strengths? Insights Discovery is useful tool for helping to understand our unique personal preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. Similarly, a 360-degree type questionnaire can help you understand how you might ‘show up’ for others. This increased understanding, coupled with a desire to understand more about oneself and others, helps increase awareness and enables you to better understand and nurture your strengths.

Reframe high-pressure situations and practice positive ‘self-talk’

Former professional basketball player and 11 times NBA champion Bill Russell said, “Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.”

Understanding how you respond under pressure and staying mindful of these reactions is crucial for top performance in sports and the workplace. Don’t forget, pressure is an internal phenomenon – it comes from within, not from without. That means you have the power to change your perception of it in order to develop mental toughness.

Consider tennis or athletics, sports where players independently experience prolonged periods of intense pressure, relying solely on their internal dialogue. This internal conversation can significantly impact performance, depending on the player’s cognitive and emotional control. Elsewhere, perhaps an athlete excels on the field or track during training but experiences negative self-talk in competition settings, when under pressure. This negative self-talk can be a significant barrier to performance, especially in sports requiring high concentration levels.

Similarly, in the workplace, being aware of your ‘stress triggers’ and reactions can help you develop better coping mechanisms. If you tend to feel overwhelmed during high-pressure meetings, practicing deep breathing or visualising a successful outcome can help you stay calm and composed.

When we adopt a positive attitude towards stress or pressure, we perceive it as a challenge rather than a threat. For athletes to be mentally tough and reach their potential, they must moderate their perception of stress.

By understanding our individual perceptions of events, we can recognise and replace negative, maladaptive responses to stress with positive, constructive ones.

Equally, we can reframe high-pressure situations by identifying what we can influence and what we might need to ask of others, according to our different personality preferences. At Insights, we use the Insights Discovery tool to help with this:

• A more extraverted preference might benefit from ample opportunity for social contact and to develop ideas collectively, whereas a more introverted preference might benefit from peace to focus and express views without feeling pressured.

• A preference for thinking might benefit from direct communication whilst being able to operate independently and objectively while a preference for feeling might benefit from harmony and where hard work is rewarded with gratitude and sense of community.

For example employee or athlete with a more introverted preference might request a quiet space to prepare before a major event, while a more extraverted individual might thrive on the collective energy of a group.

Acknowledge and actively seek out blind spots

Brazilian playwright Nelson Rodrigues said, “In football the worst blindness is only seeing the ball.”

Blind spots are personality traits that are clearly seen by others but often overlooked – sometimes even ignored – by ourselves. It’s crucial to identify blind spots because everyone holds immense value within their team. Just as every team has its unique characteristics, so does every individual. We all approach tasks with different styles and perspectives, making it essential to understand each person’s unique gifts – and blind spots – to fully understand the team’s dynamic.

For example, a sportsperson may be unaware that their competitive spirit is sometimes interpreted by others as arrogance, creating friction with teammates. By seeking out feedback from coaches and peers, they can adjust their behaviour to foster better team dynamics while still maintaining their competitive edge. In the workplace, a project manager might not realise that their detail-oriented approach is perceived as micromanagement, leading to a loss of workplace morale. Regular feedback sessions and self-reflection can help the manager balance their attention to detail with empowering their team.

By actively seeking out and addressing blind spots, you can enhance your self-awareness, develop mental toughness, and unlock your full potential. This proactive approach ensures that you leverage your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses, contributing to greater success in both sports and the workplace.

It’s clear that combining awareness with practical or physical training can give you important margins, whether in the sporting arena or the world of work.

So, whether you’re aiming for sporting or workplace success (or both), consider and apply these actionable insights to help you get there.