What lies behind high performance? Starting with this question, Andrés Scotti—a former professional soccer player, a leading figure on the Uruguayan national team, and the current director of the Enfoque Comprehensive Sports Center—shared his experiences and insights at a new session of the Management and Business Lecture Series.
In a conversation with Fernanda Gutiérrez, M.A., a professor at the Business School, Scotti addressed some of the challenges faced by both high-performance athletes and those who are part of and lead organizations: pressure, fear of failure, team building, purpose, and the ability to adapt to new career stages.
Lead so that others can grow as well
One of the main themes of the meeting was leadership, understood as a process that begins with oneself but reaches its true potential when it contributes to the development of others.
“As I helped my teammates improve, I improved as well,” Scotti said, recalling his experience on the teams he played for throughout his career.
From this perspective, individual performance cannot be separated from collective performance. Building strong teams involves understanding that each member’s actions have an impact on others and that an organization’s growth also depends on its ability to empower its members.
Mistakes as Part of the Journey
Scotti also reflected on the fear of making mistakes and the importance of taking action even when there is no guarantee of success. Drawing on an analogy from soccer, he pointed out that penalty kicks are missed by those who dare to take them.
This idea can be applied to other areas: those who make decisions and carry out projects may make mistakes, but they also have the opportunity to learn, grow, and move closer to their goals.
In that sense, high performance does not mean eliminating mistakes, but rather developing tools to deal with them, learning from experience, and continuing to move forward.
Enjoy the process
Another concept discussed during the talk was the relationship between achievements and well-being. Scotti pointed out that happiness should not be understood solely as a destination associated with the fulfillment of a goal, but rather as part of the journey that leads to it.
Great achievements can be fleeting moments. That’s why learning to value the process, respect the timeline, and find purpose in what you do is essential to sustaining long-term projects.
The conversation also provided an opportunity to discuss career transitions based on Scotti’s own experience; after ending his career as a soccer player, he embarked on a new chapter focused on the development of Enfoque, a comprehensive sports center project.
From Sports to Organizations
Discipline, habits, teamwork, coping with pressure, and leadership are some of the lessons from high-performance sports that can be applied to the corporate world.
In this context, Scotti also emphasized the importance of building strong cultures and leading by example: words can inspire, but it is day-to-day actions that ultimately have an impact on team members.
The event thus offered a perspective on high performance that goes beyond results: achieving an organization’s full potential requires people who are able to find purpose in what they do, empower one another, and understand the impact their decisions have on others.
https://youtu.be/DsvF6whJxCA
These concepts are linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, an agenda adopted by the United Nations in 2015 to address global challenges by 2030. In particular, it relates to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, due to its emphasis on holistic well-being, emotional balance, and healthy habits, and with SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, due to its focus on professional development, leadership, teamwork, and the creation of work environments that foster the growth of both individuals and organizations.