Thriving Under Pressure: What Elite Sport Taught Me About Leadership and Success

Charlotte Henshaw - 3 x Paralympic Champion (Credit: George Messa)

Picture this...

You’re sitting on the start line of a Paralympic final. The next minute or so determines whether you achieve what you have dreamed of for each of the 1461 days of the last Paralympic cycle. The finish line is all you can see, you can feel your competitors in your peripheral vision, each of them with the same hunger and desire as you. Your heart is pounding and you know that the crowd is full of people you love, willing you on. In that moment, your mind needs to be razor-sharp. Focused. In that split second of silence before the race begins, it’s not about surviving the pressure; it’s about thriving in it.

When I started my international sporting journey with the British Paralympic swimming team back in 2008, I kept hearing phrases like “thriving under pressure” and “thriving, not just surviving.” At the time, I was a fresh-faced undergraduate living away from home for the first time, juggling full-time training with a full-time university degree and truthfully, I was just trying to keep my head above water (pun intended). I was too busy just trying to stay afloat to think about what thriving really meant.

Over nearly 20 years, during which there was a sport switch from swimming to Paracanoe, and winning five Paralympic medals (three of which are gold) I’ve learned that thriving in pressurised environments is a skill that needs training. A skill which is built on resilience, clarity and daily habits that prepare you to perform when it matters most.

“We all have dreams. But, in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes and awful lot of determination, self discipline, and effort.” - Mark Spitz (11 x Olympic medallist)

While elite sport and business leadership may seem worlds apart, they share a powerful common thread: the relentless pursuit of excellence. The same mindset, discipline and behaviours that drive athletes to world-class performance are directly transferable to leadership. Whether you’re facing the worlds' best athletes or a business challenge, thriving under pressure is what, in my opinion, separates good from great. In this blog, I’ll share how I believe these high-performance habits from the world of sport can help leaders and teams thrive - even when the pressure is on!

ADAPTABILITY: A NON NEGOTIABLE FOR GOOD LEADERSHIP

Sport is an ever-changing landscape. There is no way to predict how sporting drama or a career will unfold. Whether you're dealing with an unexpected injury, a sudden coaching change, unpredictable weather (we paddlers are obsessed with the weather!) or an unprecedented global pandemic, things can shift in the blink of an eye. When the Tokyo Paralympic Games were postponed in 2020, and the Paralympic cycle extended from the traditional four years to five, I found myself training from home in my kitchen and garden, away from the support and structure I had always relied on. The plan I had perfected and trusted suddenly changed and I had to adapt quickly.

During that time, I kept sight of the long-term goal but allowed myself the freedom to try new approaches and focus on areas I might not normally have the luxury to explore. Adapting felt uncomfortable, but sitting with the discomfort and growing through it kept me motivated and ultimately strengthened my resilience.

This ability to stay flexible and embrace uncertainty is one of the most powerful lessons elite sport has taught me and I believe it is a hallmark of good leadership. Effective leaders know that rigid plans rarely survive real-world challenges. The capacity to pivot when circumstances change, the desire to empower teams through periods of uncertainty and the ability to turn setbacks into opportunities for growth are all vital leadership skills.

LEARNING FROM FAILURE: A CORE TRAIT OF RESILIENT LEADERSHIP

In elite sport, failure is always a possibility. Losses can feel devastating, but top athletes understand that setbacks are not things to fear; they’re the fuel for growth. My career hasn't been a smooth curve to success. There have been setbacks, losses, failures to execute when it matters most - dropping my paddle in a European final was a particularly obvious failure - but the setbacks have taught me so much more than the wins. When things go well, the desire for introspection can be less than when things go wrong. The ability to face failure head-on, extract the lesson and adapt quickly is what builds champions and I believe the same principles apply to great leadership.

"Champions keep playing until they get it right." - Billie Jean King (39 x Grand Slam Champion)

Effective leadership isn’t about avoiding mistakes, it’s about owning them. Strong leaders model resilience by viewing failure as a stepping stone rather than a roadblock. The great leaders who I admire and have been lucky enough to work with have always been curious and have asked the hard questions: 'What went wrong? What can we learn? How do we grow from this?' This mindset not only shapes a stronger strategy that all involved can get on board with, but it also empowers teams to take ownership, collaborate effectively and push boundaries without fear.

EMBRACING THE POWER OF PAUSE

In the sporting landscape, rest can often feel like weakness. It can feel like you're falling behind. I used to believe that stepping back and resting meant giving your competitors that all important edge. But over time, I learned that knowing when to rest and reset isn’t a setback - it’s a strategy. Ahead of the London 2012 Paralympics, that once in a lifetime opportunity to compete at a home Games, I pushed myself so hard I ended up with chronic fatigue and overtraining syndrome and missed out on selection at our team trials. Luckily, I made the team on a wildcard, but the stress on my mind and body leading in to the biggest competition of my career was high. And it was avoidable. I didn’t choose the period of rest that was ultimately needed; it was forced on me.

In business, the same holds true. The culture of constant grind can seem like the only path to success, but without intentional pauses, burnout is inevitable. Leaders and teams who prioritise recovery - whether through time off, reflection, or re-evaluating their strategy - are more resilient, creative and productive in the long run. A high performing environment isn’t one that never stops; it’s one that knows when to stop. Rest isn’t a luxury. It can be a competitive advantage.

THE POWER OF TEAM IN HIGH PERFORMANCE

We often hear how great team culture is the secret weapon to sporting success. The New Zealand All Blacks are revered for the way they approach team culture. While it is obvious that unwavering focus on 'team' is vital in team sports, it’s just as true in individual ones. Even though both my sports have meant I take to the field of play alone, every medal winning moment has been the result of a team effort. The key players in my own support team are coaches, psychologists, nutritionists, teammates, friends and family who all play a vital role in helping me thrive in the pressure cooker of elite competition. I always take confidence when we are aligned in our goals and open in our communication.

"The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." - Phil Jackson (13 x NBA Champion)

The same holds true in business leadership. High performance doesn’t happen in isolation. Surrounding yourself with people who share your values, challenge your thinking and pull in the same direction is essential. Good leadership is about more than setting a vision - it’s about building a culture where trust is strong, communication flows and everyone feels a sense of belonging and purpose.

Whether on the regatta lake or in the boardroom, a strong, focused team culture is what transforms pressure into performance and good leaders know how to nurture that environment every day.

CLOSING THOUGHTS: TURNING PARALYMPIC LESSONS INTO LEADERSHIP WINS.

A career in elite Paralympic sport has taught me so much, both in the areas I have touched upon but in so many more. All of these traits and lessons are not just principles that lead to sporting success. Resilience, adaptability, reflection, team work and the courage to fail are not just key principles in swimming or canoeing; for me, they are the building blocks of exceptional leadership and high performance behaviours that fuel bold, effective leaders in any field.

So ask yourself: Are you leading with the resilience needed to weather challenges? Do you have the adaptability to seize new opportunities and the humility to learn from failure? Have you a powerful vision behind which you can unite your team towards a shared goal? These habits, habits that can create Paralympic champions, are the same ones that create world-class leaders who can truly thrive under pressure.

This is just the beginning. Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing more insights from Paralympic champions and elite athletes, each diving into a different facet of high performance. Every post in this series will give you a behind the scenes insight from those who have lived and breathed the pursuit of excellence at the highest level. Because the mindset that drives champions to the podium can transform how you lead, work, and succeed. Stay tuned - your next leadership breakthrough could be one blog away!

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