Coaching is now embraced by most leaders as a strategy for raising performance, largely thanks to the likes of Sir John Whitmore who adapted sports coaching to business leadership.
Alongside physical training, diet and psychology, sleep is now something that successful athletes prioritise because of the performance gains it releases. Team GB’s success in cycling is credited to the ‘Marginal Gains’ approach championed by Sir Dave Brailsford with Matt Parker. A key component of this strategy is sleep. Athletes are issued with portable fold up sleep systems (beds) that their team install at training camps, Olympic Villages and along the Tour de France route.
“For a world class athlete in an unfamiliar environment, getting a better night’s sleep than their opponent can be the difference between winning and losing.”
Similarly, executives working with and often travelling to different time zones will find their performance is dramatically reduced as a result of disrupted sleep. The Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Challenger Space Shuttle explosion and the Exxon Valdez oil spill were all found to be caused by poor decision making, by fatigued personnel. How many corporate acquisitions, weak presentations or bad hiring choices in your organisation are due to overtired managers pushing on when their brain function is impaired?
We know when we are not at our best and very often we can trace it back to our sleep patterns. There are numerous books, mattress manufacturers and potions that claim to improve sleep. We are most likely to implement the best strategies when encouraged to do so by a supportive and challenging professional. To find out more about Sleep Coaching contact us in confidence.
