What founders can learn from the 2026 summer of sport
Every summer, sport gives us a masterclass in high performance.
08 September 2026
From the pressure-cooker atmosphere of Wimbledon’s Centre Court to the five-day slow burn of international Test cricket, from major international football tournaments like the World Cup, to elite cycling in the Tour de France and athletics at the Commonwealth Games, the sporting calendar is packed with examples of individuals and teams operating at the highest level.
For founders, there is a temptation to view sporting success as something separate from business. But there are parallels in the principles that underpin success in both worlds. The best athletes and teams don’t rely on talent alone; they build systems, prepare relentlessly, adapt quickly and focus on continuous improvement.
Here are five lessons to help you build a stronger, more resilient business.
1. Great results start long before match day
When young British hopeful Arthur Fery stepped out onto Centre Court, his performance and early success was the result of thousands of hours of preparation. The same is true in business. Customers usually only see the final product, sales pitch or marketing campaign. They rarely see the research, planning, testing and refinement that made it possible.
Founders sometime focus too much on execution, while underestimating preparation. But often the businesses that scale successfully are those that have invested time upfront in understanding their market, validating demand and refining their offering. So before launching your next product, ask yourself:
- Have I clearly identified the customer problem?
- Do I understand our target market?
- Have I tested any assumptions?
The Barclays Eagle Labs Entrepreneur Academy's courses on Starting Your Business and Product Development and Design focus on exactly these fundamentals, helping founders build stronger foundations before they scale.
2. Winning teams beat individual talent
Football tournaments often remind us of a simple truth: the most talented group of individual players does not always win. Success comes from alignment, communication and trust. It comes, in other words from the team. Spain won the 2026 World Cup because they were united as a team. Lionel Messi may be the best player in the world, but Spain were stronger as a team working together across all areas of the pitch.
Businesses face the same challenge. Many founders begin as solo operators. As the company grows, success becomes less about their individual effort and more about building a team capable of delivering consistently without relying on the founder to do everything.
Elite sports teams spend countless hours developing shared understanding and clear roles. Founders should do the same.
Consider:
- Are responsibilities clearly defined?
- Does everyone understand the company vision?
- Are decision-making processes clear?
- Are people empowered to take ownership?
The Leadership and Management programme within the Barclays Eagle Labs Entrepreneur Academy explores how founders can build effective teams, develop people strategies, and evolve their leadership style as their business grows.
3. Test cricket shows the power of patience
In an era obsessed with instant results, Test cricket offers a refreshing counterpoint. A five-day match is won through discipline, resilience and strategic thinking. Momentum can shift repeatedly. Teams have to stay focused, even when outcomes are uncertain.
Founders know this feeling well. Building a successful business rarely follows a straight line. Revenue can fluctuate. Product launches may miss expectations. Funding rounds can take longer than planned. The founders who succeed are often those who resist short-term panic and focus on long-term progress. A useful exercise is to distinguish between short-term setbacks and long-term trends
One difficult month does not define a business any more than one poor session defines a Test match. The ability to remain patient while continuing to execute is often what separates sustainable growth from reactive decision-making.
4. The best athletes never stop learning
Elite athletes constantly analyse performance and often have a dedicated team of analysts to do it for them. After every match, race, or tournament, they review what worked, what didn't and where they can improve.
The most successful businesses adopt the same mindset. Instead of viewing mistakes as failures, they treat them as data. Ask regularly:
- Which activities generate the highest return?
- Where are customers dropping out of the sales process?
- Which products create the most value?
- What should we stop doing?
Continuous improvement is particularly important as new technologies reshape industries.
The Barclays Eagle Labs Entrepreneur Academy's Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Tech course helps founders understand how technologies such as AI can improve productivity, decision-making, and future competitiveness.
Businesses that learn faster than their competitors often gain a significant advantage.
5. Champions adapt when conditions change
Anyone who has attempted to watch sport in most British summers knows that conditions can change quickly. Rain often interrupts play. Cricket pitches change over the course of five days. Wind affects cycling and sailing strategies. The athletes who thrive are rarely those with the perfect plan. They are the ones who adapt fastest.
Former England Rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward adopted a philosophy he called TCUP, thinking correctly under pressure.
Businesses face equally fast-changing environments. Economic conditions change; customer expectations evolve; new competitors emerge; and technology creates opportunities and threats. Founders have to be able to adapt without losing sight of their overall objective.
This means:
- Monitoring key performance indicators.
- Staying close to customers.
- Being willing to refine products and services.
- Revisiting strategy when circumstances change.
The Academy's Scaling and Growth and Accessing Markets and Making Sales courses provide practical guidance for founders navigating changing markets while maintaining momentum.
The real competitive advantage
When people look at sporting champions, they often focus on moments of brilliance. The winning goal; a match-winning century or that perfect first serve. What they don't always see is the system behind the success.
The coaching, preparation, learning and discipline and the ability to keep improving when nobody’s watching. The same applies to business. Sustainable growth is rarely the result of one breakthrough moment. It comes from consistently building capabilities, strengthening teams, understanding customers and adapting to change.
This summer has seen some fabulous sporting action, but now it’s a good time to think about the lessons it can teach you and how to apply them to your own business.
For founders looking to develop those capabilities, the free Barclays Eagle Labs Entrepreneur Academy offers learning pathways covering everything from startup fundamentals and leadership to fundraising, scaling, AI, and purpose-driven growth.
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