What can the high-stakes world of professional sports teach us about leadership in the corporate world?

In this episode, we are joined by Michael Andrei, former German National Volleyball Player and Team Captain of the SWD Powervolleys Düren. Michael now serves as the team's Athletic Coach and works with individuals and organizations as a Personal Trainer and Motivational Coach.

Together, we explore the striking parallels between leading on the court and leading in the boardroom. Drawing from his career in top-tier volleyball—including competing in front of 13,000 fans at the European Championships—Michael shares practical insights on pressure, presence, and performance.

Key themes in this conversation include:

• Leading under pressure: What corporate leaders can learn from staying focused in high-stress, high-visibility environments.
• The importance of body language and emotional control—and how captains and executives alike set the emotional tone for their teams.
• Why "not taking yourself too seriously" can actually be a sign of strength.
• Building high-performance cultures: lessons from recruiting and retaining the right team players.
• How feedback, even when direct and uncomfortable, builds trust and improves performance—if delivered in the right way.
• Mistake management: distinguishing between "acceptable" and "unacceptable”"errors to enable smart risk-taking.
• Rethinking success: Why winning isn't everything, and how true leadership shows up not just in victory—but in how we respond to setbacks.

Michael also shares strategies and tools from professional sports that are relevant in the corporate context: managing your energy, maintaining emotional composure, and developing resilience through rituals like breathing techniques and staying focused on what truly matters.

Whether you're a CEO, senior leader, or team manager, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical strategies for leading with clarity, composure, and heart.

Reflection Questions for Leaders:

• What does "winning" mean to you?
• Are you projecting the energy you want others to experience?
• And are there moments where you could take yourself just a little less seriously?

To find out more about Michael Andrei and to connect with him, go to his LinkedIn-Profile.

About Second Crack
More information about us and our work is available on our website: secondcrackleadership.com. Contact us now to explore how we can support your leadership development in a company-wide initiative or with individual executive coaching: [email protected].
 
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Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer