What is Athlete Thinking®? – Catherine Tetart, Senior Consultant, Leadership Development

A mindset above all!
In both sports and business, those who succeed in reaching their goals are the ones who, aware that performance cannot be solely the result of chance, have a clear vision of what they want to achieve, a keen awareness of the prerequisites to fulfill in order to get there, and a realistic understanding of the path to take.
They know themselves well and can mobilize their own resources, while also leveraging the strengths of their teammates and using the positive aspects of their environment to enhance their performance.
They are also capable of managing their motivation, emotions, self-confidence, and concentration, to remain focused and determined over time.
Moreover, they know how to adapt to situations throughout preparation and training, learning from both their successes and failures, and objectively recognizing their share of responsibility in achieving intermediate goals as well as in the fact that they sometimes fail.
It is this mindset cultivated by high-level athletes that our consulting group has formalized, with the help of two coaches and former athletes (Pier Gauthier and Jean-Marc Sabatier¹), into a structured approach adapted to the business world, which our “athlete-minded” consultants use to support executives and managers in their development, enabling them to ACCEED² to their optimal performance zone.

And a methodology for development
Far more than a proprietary tool, Athlete Thinking® is a development methodology inspired by positive psychology and various fields (neuro-linguistic programming, emotional intelligence, neuroscience…), which allows, via an online questionnaire and a debriefing session, to optimize employees’ potential by working on the 9 dimensions they must mobilize to realize, or even exceed, their capabilities.

A different perspective on performance
The question of performance, highly prevalent in business, is considered here from a different perspective than traditional approaches, providing a focus on the individual rather than the output, and emphasizing what the individual already does well rather than what they need to improve.
During the debriefing of results, the consultant questions the individual with both benevolence and rigor, helping them identify strengths and weaknesses, encouraging acceptance of vulnerabilities, acknowledging support points, and enabling capitalization on their assets. The consultant guides reflection and works to generate awareness that can trigger action, in a positive energy-replenishing dynamic.

Reaching the “flow” zone
The goal is to offer the individual or team the opportunity to give their best in high-stakes situations, ultimately reaching their optimal performance zone by creating the conditions for a state of “flow,” where they are both efficient and fulfilled, fully mastering their subject and engaged; able to concentrate on their task without feeling excessive effort or stress; finding a balance between challenge and skill; and experiencing a sense of success, altered perception of time, and above all, pleasure… A state similar to what top athletes experience when performing a feat!

A tool with multiple uses
Athlete Thinking® can be applied at various key moments for the company and/or employees. For example:
During recruitment, to support a candidate’s onboarding and help them succeed in integration;
In interim management, to assist a manager in reviewing a mission or preparing for the next one;
In individual coaching, serving as a powerful support for developing leadership among executives and managers;
In team coaching, to foster cohesion, collaboration, and alignment around strategy, mission, and shared objectives;
In high-potential programs and talent assessment initiatives, to work on gaps between actual performance and expectations.

More than an approach, an identity… embodied!
This unique and powerful approach forms the DNA of Grant Alexander: a life philosophy that each group member has embraced and embodies daily, approaching each new challenge with an athlete’s mindset, fully optimizing strengths and potential in service of the companies and leaders we support.

¹ Pier Gauthier is a former professional tennis player, coach of Sébastien Grosjean and Gaël Monfils. Jean-Marc Sabatier is a coach and mental trainer.
² ACCEDER is the acronym for the 9 dimensions explored in the Athlete Thinking tool: Acceptance / Adaptation – Self-Awareness – Self-Confidence – Concentration – Emotions – Determination – Environment – Team – Responsibility.