Women, Sports, and Leadership

What is our best hope for nurturing women leaders? The answer might surprise you.

Studies have shown that a background in sports can greatly improve a woman’s leadership potential. Not only can it land her jobs of her preference, but it can also assist her in the management of her own firm. What is it about sports participation that helps take women onto the track of success?

A survey involving 400 women on four continents has shown that 51% of women who play competitive sports hold 51% of management positions. While 74% of respondents said that a background in sports helped accelerate their careers, 61% confirmed that involvement in sports contributed to their career success. Candidates with a sporting background listed determination and a strong work ethic as traits gained from the experience.

Three out of four respondents said that being described as competitive was considered an asset to their leadership style.

Having played sports my whole life, starting with tennis at summer camp and private lessons from the age of 12, I must say first and foremost that playing a sport developed my communications skills and courage. Joining a team outside of school forced me to step out of the unknown and put myself outside of my comfort zone. It also forced me to mingle and make friends outside my circles. I started playing football, basketball, netball, and badminton in my early years in high school, and developed a special liking for football due to the close-knit feeling you develop with your team and the raw obsession of wanting to win games. This drove an intense hunger to win and do well. We would celebrate loudly and joyfully after a win, and would be glowing with happiness for days afterward. We’d be equally disappointed after a loss, and work twice as hard to prove ourselves in the next game. The high of winning over a client or project is the same. The low is a crash, but practice makes perfect.

“Three out of four respondents said that being described as competitive was considered an asset to their leadership style.

Football, for me, involved developing stamina, skills, and the need to maneuver and problem-solve on the spot. It also involved learning to understand my teammates and their positions, strengths, and weaknesses. At the end of the day, we completed each other, and had to communicate directly and indirectly. We discussed our strategy before each game, managed our own team huddles, and gathered for moments of prayer before the start of a game. If one of our own got hit or got a bad game call, we would rush to defend her. We were all part of the pack. The more we traveled to away games, the closer we became, and the better we worked on the pitch.

Looking back now, I see that the skill sets involved, the hunger to win, the sheer competition, the sportsmanlike spirit, and the work that went into strengthening our skills were all carried with me into my day-to-day working life. This was especially true as I started my company. I sacrificed many events, birthdays, and get-togethers to avoid missing practice, and I have now processed these habits into my working life, with priority going to client lunches and late-night meetings.

I am lucky enough to have parents who think playing team sports is cool, and they scolded me when I missed a game or match. I found my dad was always grinning when he saw me all battered up in my jersey after a game, and was eager to know the details of the match, which I enjoyed sharing with him. This is something I take for granted, but I’ve seen other fathers and husbands stop the women in their families from playing sports due to the fact that they think it is unfeminine and manly. They are unable to appreciate the advantages that come with playing sports.

“Looking back now, I see that the skill sets involved, the hunger to win, the sheer competition, the sportsmanlike spirit, and the work that went into strengthening our skills were all carried with me into my day-to-day working life.

It’s really great to see Bahrain investing in sports for women. I have attended numerous local tournaments in all sports, and feel so proud to see Bahraini women matching the skills of expats and even ex-professional footballers. It just proves that we can empower and build more women leaders through sports, and it is our duty to be supportive.

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