Decoding Business: What athletes need to know about the world beyond sport

I’m writing this blog from a slightly different perspective.

This isn’t another “how to write a CV” guide or “five steps to succeed in business.” This is the real version, what no one tells you until you’re already out of sport and standing in your first office, wondering what just happened.

Here’s what athletes really need to know about the business world.

Understanding Where You Are on the Journey

Inside ACT Community, we talk a lot about performance beyond the game, but not every athlete is in the same place when it comes to that next chapter. I've broken it down to the three key stages that capture the realities of an athlete’s career journey:

• Preparation: You’re still competing but curious about what’s next. You’re building awareness, networks and skills that will make your future transition smoother. 

• Navigation: You’re actively moving through transition. You’re exploring, testing and learning how to apply your athletic mindset in new spaces.

• Progression: You’ve already stepped into life beyond sport. You’re developing, adapting and continuing to grow in your next arena.

This piece is written for all three, because no matter which stage you’re in, business, just like sport, has its own game to learn.

The Hard Truth No One Tells You

When you step into business, everyone talks about transferable skills.

Resilience. Leadership. Teamwork. Communication.

Yes, those skills matter, but no one tells you what really hits you in the face when you walk into business for the first time.

• No changing room banter.
• No clear pecking order.
• No instant feedback after every performance.
• Often, people are curious about your background, but watching to see if you can actually deliver outside of sport.

That’s the reality, but here’s the good news: everything you’ve learned from sport can help you master it. You just need to know how to play this new game.

Preparation: Start paying attention to what drives business success in your sport, such as sponsors, operations and relationships. Every insight you gain now is a head start later.

Navigation: You’re learning what’s transferable and what needs rebuilding. Stay patient; it’s a process of discovery, not replacement.

Progression: You’ve lived this transition. Share what you’ve learned; it helps you make sense of your journey and guides those behind you.

No One’s Clapping Anymore, and That’s OK

In sport, your performance is public. You know instantly if you’ve nailed it or blown it. In business, most of your wins are invisible. There is no crowd, no Monday review, no celebration after a big day.

That can feel like a loss at first, but it’s also where your first superpower kicks in: self-awareness. Athletes have an incredible ability to assess performance without external validation. You’ve spent years learning to review, reflect and reset. Use that skill to set your own benchmarks. When you learn to measure yourself by impact rather than applause, you become unstoppable, in or out of sport.

Preparation: Notice what drives your sense of achievement when no one’s watching. That habit will prepare you for environments without obvious scoreboards.

Navigation: Replace the buzz of performance with purpose. Quiet wins are still wins. Learn to celebrate progress over perfection.

Progression: Use your awareness to mentor others. Help new colleagues understand what steady progress looks like when it’s not being cheered from the stands.

Everyone’s Playing a Game, Just Not the One You’re Used To

Corporate life is competitive, but the scoreboard is perception, patience and politics, not points. It’s not about pretending. It’s about reading the field, and understanding who influences outcomes, how people think and how trust is built.

Here’s where your game intelligence gives you the edge. Athletes are trained to read play, adapt in real time and anticipate what comes next. In business, that translates into strategic awareness: knowing when to speak up, when to listen and when to make your move. You’ve been reading opponents and situations your whole life. Now you just apply that skill to people, not players.

Preparation: Observe how leadership, influence and communication work in your current environment. It’s the same skillset, just applied differently. 

Navigation: Be patient. You’re learning the unwritten rules of a new game, and you’re more adaptable than you think. 

Progression: You already understand how influence works. Use it intentionally to create opportunities and support others adjusting to this new game.

Feedback Isn’t Automatic, You Have to Ask for It

In sport, feedback is constant from coaches, teammates and data. In business, silence often means you’re fine. That can feel strange, but your growth mindset is your superpower here. You’re already wired to chase progress, not comfort. 

Seek feedback early and often. Ask how you can improve, where you can add more value, and what success looks like from your manager’s perspective. You’ll be amazed how quickly you stand out when you bring that performance mentality into an environment where most people avoid feedback altogether.

Preparation: Start normalising feedback now, not just on performance but on communication and leadership. 

Navigation: Ask for clarity and input regularly. It’s the fastest way to shorten the learning curve.

Progression: Model this for others. A culture that seeks feedback grows faster and performs better.

Effort Doesn’t Always Equal Impact

In sport, effort is visible. Run harder, work longer, sacrifice more and results follow. In business, that’s not always the case. You can graft all week and still miss the real target.

This is where your discipline and focus become your secret weapon. Athletes know how to channel energy into what truly matters. In business, that means understanding priorities, aligning with goals, and executing with intent. Don’t just work hard, work smart, strategically, and in sync with your team’s objectives. This mindset shift will help you perform at the right intensity in any environment.

Preparation: Start noticing where effort really makes a difference. It will train your focus for the next arena. 

Navigation: Learn the rhythms of business. Working smarter beats working harder when the game changes.

Progression: Use your focus to mentor younger teammates or colleagues who are still learning where to invest their energy.

You’re Not the Star Player Anymore, and That’s Liberating

In sport, your identity is tied to your position, your form, your stats.  In business, titles mean less than trust and contribution. You might start near the bottom again, and that’s fine.

Here’s your advantage: Coach-ability.

You know how to learn, adapt, and grow faster than most. You’ve rebuilt form after setbacks, learned new systems, and thrived under pressure. That humility and hunger make you one of the most resilient learners any business can hire. Starting over isn’t a step back. It’s a new season.

Preparation: Keep developing curiosity beyond your sport. Learn, observe and ask questions. It builds your adaptability muscle. 

Navigation: Don’t see starting again as a loss. See it as learning from the ground up, which is how all high performers grow.

Progression: Stay coachable. The best leaders are still learners, always refining and improving.

Culture Is the New Team Spirit

In business you’ll hear words like culture, values and engagement thrown around a lot. At first, it sounds like corporate jargon until you see how powerful it really is.

Culture is the heartbeat of every successful organisation. It’s what replaces the locker room, the shared purpose, belonging and accountability that drives performance. This is where your team DNA shines. You already know how to build connection, create trust and pull together for something bigger than yourself. The same energy that builds great teams in sport builds thriving teams in business. Protect it, contribute to it and you’ll always be valued.

Preparation: Notice what great team environments look like. You’ll carry that understanding into everything you do next. 

Navigation: Bring your sense of belonging with you. It helps you create trust and cohesion in new settings
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Progression: Lead with empathy and clarity. You’ve lived in strong cultures; now help build them.

Your Edge Is Still Your Edge

Discipline. Resilience. Standards. 

They don’t disappear when sport ends, they just evolve.

Most people in business have never trained for years under pressure, balanced emotion with execution, or bounced back from public failure. You have. That’s your edge. The key is to pair it with empathy, patience and curiosity. When you combine relentless standards with emotional intelligence, you stop being the athlete trying to fit in and become the person everyone looks to when things get tough.

Preparation: Keep strengthening the qualities that set you apart. They’ll define your next chapter. 

Navigation: Use your resilience as your anchor when the path feels uncertain. It’s what keeps you moving forward.

Progression: Pair your standards with empathy. It’s how you’ll influence, inspire, and lead others effectively.

The Second Arena

You’ve already proven you can perform when it matters. Now you’re playing a new game with wider possibilities. Business isn’t your second act. It’s your next arena, a place to lead again, to grow again and to compete in a different way.

Preparation: The best time to prepare for what’s next is now. Keep learning, connecting and building your story beyond sport. 

Navigation: This is your bridge moment. Stay curious and stay open. Every new skill you gain now becomes part of your long-term success.
  
Progression: Keep evolving. You’ve built a new game; now make it meaningful. Mentor others, keep learning and keep performing at your best.

You’ve still got the mindset, the tenacity, and the high-expectations that made you an athlete. Now you get to use them to build something that lasts long after the final whistle.

Your story doesn’t end here. It evolves, and this time, you’re the one writing the playbook.

The Athlete’s Superpower

There’s one more thing worth remembering: your sporting past isn’t something to hide or downplay, it’s a superpower.

Used in the right way, it opens doors and starts conversations you never imagined possible. Leaders in business are genuinely fascinated by the mindset, stories, and stardust of sport. They want to understand it, learn from it, and be around it.

That curiosity gives you access, but it’s what you do next that earns you respect. Be confident in your journey, proud of where you’ve come from, but always humble in how you show it.

Authenticity is what turns curiosity into opportunity. When you combine that humility with your athlete mindset, you’ll find that the world of business isn’t just open to you, it’s waiting for you.

Decoding Business is a much bigger conversation than one blog can cover. That’s why we’re exploring it in more depth across the ACT Community, with practical tools, stories, courses and strategies to help athletes manage the shift out of sport and into their next careers.