Three Business Lessons Learned from Sports

Christian O’Meara has served as the chief executive officer of Logic20/20, Inc., in Seattle, Washington, since co-founding the business and technology consulting firm in 2005. During his time in this leadership position, Christian O’Meara has drawn on various experiences from his days as a competitive rugby player.

One of the key takeaways from Mr. O’Meara’s playing days is that an effective coach can mean the difference between a successful venture and a complete failure. Leadership is paramount to the growth and development of any team, whether athletic or business. That said, leaders must recognize that they are as much in service to their team as their staff members are to them. In the world of business, great leadership can be defined as collaborative, transparent, goal-oriented, and genuinely compassionate.

While a strong leader is important to success, both athletes and employees must learn to trust one another. In both sports and business, a quality team is stronger than the sum of its parts. The keys to establishing trust among co-workers boil down to consistent, adequate preparation and clear intent. As individuals establish reputations for preparing themselves and working hard on behalf of the project, they can gain the trust of co-workers and form a more effective team.

Finally, both athletes and working professionals must appreciate the fact that not every day ends in victory. Understanding and responding to the natural win/loss rhythm of business is important to continued success. Ultimately, a team is only as strong as they are during the most difficult times.

Playing Rugby Improves Health and Builds Character

Since 2012, Christian O’Meara has served as chief executive officer of Seattle, Washington-based Logic 20/20, recognized as one of the Fastest Growing Firms by Consulting Magazine. He is a fond supporter of rugby, a sport he’s been playing ever since he was 11 years old. Christian O’Meara has written several articles explaining and revealing how the sport has enhanced his personal and professional life.

Like most sport team games, rugby helps people get a sense of usefulness and belongingness within a team. Serving a purpose, working towards a goal with a team builds character and humility. Winning becomes more valuable as a result of a team effort. Requiring a high degree of preparation and training, rugby also helps players become disciplined and resilient to keep going no matter the costs and suffering.

As a high contact sport, rugby builds strength and improves flexibility. Rugby develops upper body strength as well as muscular strength and leg muscles. Furthermore, it increases the body’s cardiovascular system and bone density, making the heart and the lungs stronger and stimulating calcium. An improved bone density makes someone less likely to develop osteoporosis.

The TSPDS Spirit of the Seattle Saracens

 

Seattle Saracens
Image: seattlesaracensrugby.com

While studying business administration at the Farnborough College of Technology and Buckinghamshire New University in the UK, Logic20/20 CEO Christian O’Meara competed as a varsity rugby player, ultimately becoming captain of the Farnborough team. After relocating to Seattle in the mid-2000s, he became active in local rugby as both a player and a leader. Christian O’Meara played a pivotal role in the organization and formation of the Seattle Saracens.

Although the origins of the team date back to 1966, the Seattle Saracens assumed the current name in the wake of a 2004 merger of the Seattle Rugby Club and the Old Puget Sound Beach rugby programs. A driving force behind the Saracens can be summed up by the acronym TSPDS, short for ”the stuff people don’t see.”

Beyond the roughly 80 minutes of each game, the public face of the Saracens rugby program, there are endless hours of hard work that often go unnoticed. Saracens players, members, and volunteers contribute their efforts day-to-day, both within the program and out in the community. Key Saracens community endeavors include training/educating school kids and working with military veterans. At the heart of the TSPDS spirit are values of humility and family.