Booz Allen CEO Ralph Shrader on Hockey and Business

[KevinKeeganDC]

Sports taught me three C words: courage, confidence and communication. The courage came when I had to overcome the fear of being hit by the baseball; that led to the confidence that I built while mastering new athletic skills; and then communication with my teammates was an essential ingredient to team building and execution. I believe that courage, confidence and communication still serve me well today in my relationships with clients and in tackling the challenges that we face together.

[RSteinwand]

I played collegiate sports and have continued both team and individual sports well after college (volleyball, skiing, mt biking). I learned that a team playing well together can far exceed the individual's ability. A well-formulated team helps each other out to accomplish more than anticipated possible. I think this is often reflected in our approach as a Firm to solving our client's problems.

[mchbah22]

The most powerful lessons that I've learned from playing sports growing up and D1 collegiate lacrosse are time management and accountability. Learning how to balance your time is crucial for success. You need to be accountable for your actions, because they affect not only YOUR performance but the overall performance and success of the team. The idea of disappointing or letting down the team is too difficult for you to do anything but your personal best.

[CFISBrian]

Two things that I have drawn personally from sports that I think apply to business. First, is to play the whole sixty minutes. Deadlines may be fixed, but time can be managed, right down to the end. Good clock management is your friend. The other is leverage even your last opportunity in creative ways. As a Cal alum, the Big Play v. Stanford is what stands out in my mind. Sometimes weird and unconventional is what it takes to get to the goal, and obstacles can be to your advantage.

[MsSByers]

One of my last papers in college was about the direct connection between team athletics and leadership. Participating in a team sport builds EQ more effectively than any other activity. Why? Because it teaches you how to take a risk as a team, fail with grace as a team, and recover as a team. Looking back, I think my team sports have taught me more about working in the business world than any classroom course.

[mjrose720]

Athletes are often not just known for their talent, but for their character or reputation. Reputation is equally important for an organization, as the character and conduct of the employees greatly impact the business. We often remember athletes for something controversial they said or did, rather then what good they accomplished. Organizations that conduct themselves in a good manner "on and off the field" serve as excellent role models and will stay out in front for the right reasons.

[ajdron]

I think sports can reveal and build true character. Some of the best things I learned: how visualizing plays, actions and responses can be just as powerful as DOING them, working with a diverse group of people towards a common goal and persevering when your energy is depleted and everyone seems to be exhausted towards victory.

[amydpp]

I have never been a team sports player, just isn't something that interests me. I am more of the solo sports player kind of person, i.e. golf, tennis, etc. What I have learned is that even when you think you are playing solo and it is all up to you, it's really not. There are people to help you with your swing or putting and even to cheer you up when you lose. So even when you think you are on your own, there's always someone behind you willing to help.

[Kageskull]

This is Matt Bergevin: I've done martial arts and boxing off and on my whole life. I've learned that training is never something to take lightly, and when you train, train hard and train to win. You also don't win by staying down when you're knocked down, you get up and find whatever you need to keep going.

[MikeRobertBoston]

Maybe it's because I've been playing too much Wii Sports lately...but doubles tennis comes to mind. You've got to analyze the challenge in front of you, and you've got to work as a team to overcome it. And hey--if you can have some fun along the way, that's great too!

[stevee1359]

I'm a HUGE sports fan, and I regularly use sports analogies in my work (sometimes to the annoyance of my colleagues)! I've learned that a good team leader in business shares many of the same characteristics of a good team leader on a sports team. They get people to follow and respect them based on their actions, not just because of their position.