Business Paper

Loehr, J., & Schwartz, T. (2001). The Making of a Corporate Athlete. Harvard Business Review, 79(1), 120-128.

Summarized by Cathleen Blades (article 10)

This article discusses how executives could think and train like professional athletes and make a tremendous difference in their energy level and overall well-being. It discusses how executives have always been looked at from the neck up and no attention has been given to the mind, body and spirit as to take care of the employee as a whole. The goal is to get executives to the IPS Ideal Performance State (the process of bringing talents and skills to full ignition and sustain high performance over time). The primary skill of the athlete has never been focused on as much as their overall body health and executives can be look at much the same way. Full potentional can also be received with the executive if the focus on making their entire physical and emotional health the best it can be, this can be achieved by meeting the goals of the performance pyramid which includes physical well-being, emotional health and mental acuity, and a sense of purpose. The physical well-being component includes the process known as "oscillation" which is the rythmatic movement between energy expenditure (stress) and energy renewal (recovery). Energy management will allow the executive to be at their peak performance state. As the article also discusses, professional athletes usually get an off season and time to recover, and executives do not. The effective solutions to energy management differ for each person depending on what they need in their life. However good sleeping and eating patterns are integral to everyone's best performance and health. Frequent breaks should be taken throughout the day to give the mind a break from thought processes. Many executives find that by following these tips they can actually achieve more in less time during the workday. Peak mental capacity can be achieved by meditation or other rituals that allow your mental state to have a break and recharge. Visualization is also an effective tool in helping to achieve goals. Spiritual Capacity is another level on the pyramid, this can be a controversial area, however, it basically just means tuning into one's deepest values and having a strong sense of purpose. If the executive works towards taking care of all components of the pyramid then they will succeed with producing the optimal performance.