Today’s guest column is from professors John Cairney and Rick Burton.
For years, corporate and sport industry leaders have leaned on a simple but powerful analogy: the balcony and the dance floor. It’s an idea popularized by Harvard senior lecturer Ronald Heifetz that suggested effective leaders must shift between two perspectives—engaging in the action (the dance floor) while stepping back to gain strategic clarity (the balcony).
We’d argue it’s a useful framework. But in today’s sport leadership landscape—where technology, data and high-speed decision-making are fundamental—does this balletic analogy still hold up? Or does it oversimplify leadership in a way that no longer resonates?
Does a more fitting analogy exist? One that captures not just perspective shifts but also the complex, interconnected and technologically driven nature of leadership today? And could we make the analogy sport-related (not that there’s anything wrong with dancing)?
And then it hit us: Formula 1.
An F1 leadership analogy differs from the traditional dance floor metaphor in several ways.
First, it’s not an individual exercise—it’s not just about the leader moving between floors and balconies. Lando Norris might’ve been the one crossing the recently completed Australian Grand Prix finish line in Melbourne, but Norris’ success reflected the collaborative product produced by a vast network of McLaren engineers, strategists, data analysts and one very determined pit crew.
Leadership in sport is no different—coaches, executives and performance staff don’t lead in isolation; they work in teams dependent on real-time information, collaboration and adaptability.
Second, leadership today isn’t just about shifting between big-picture and detailed thinking—it’s about doing both simultaneously and at speed. In F1, a driver isn’t just reacting to the car’s handling or the grip of the tires; He (or she) is also integrating live data feeds, making split-second tactical decisions, and responding to unpredictable race conditions.
Likewise, sport leaders must balance immediate challenges with long-term strategy—and do so while navigating an increasingly volatile and uncertain landscape.
Netflix’s Drive to Survive transformed how fans experience F1. By placing cameras inside the cockpit while also zooming out to provide a broader narrative of team rivalries, contract negotiations and championship battles, the show (which just finished its seventh season) continues to offer a uniquely layered perspective.
This is exactly how modern sport leadership operates. Leaders don’t just step away to gain perspective—they toggle between multiple viewpoints in real time. They’re required to see the race from inside the car (immersed in the on-track action), but also from the pits (making tactical adjustments) and from the operations center (where analysts interpret vast streams of data).
Here are three takeaways from F1 that leaders might find helpful:
I. Pit Stops as Strategic Pauses
Leadership is about knowing when to push and when to pause. Stopping at the right time can be the difference between sustaining performance and burning out.
While leaders may be tempted to think a decision is entirely theirs, listening to an assembled team and gathering multiple perspectives is how contemporary leaders make the best call on when to stop and when to go. The final decision may rest with the leader, but getting there is a team effort.
II. Tires and Track Conditions as External Factors
F1 teams constantly adjust to track conditions—dry, wet, hot, cold. Similarly, sport leaders must adapt their approach based on changing financial, regulatory and competitive landscapes. The best leaders don’t just react—they anticipate and preemptively adjust strategies.
As co-authors Deborah Ancona and Henrik Bresman emphasize in their work on sensemaking, leaders must continuously assess emerging threats and opportunities. Even when internal pressures (organizational change, budget constraints) are high, leaders can’t afford to remain inwardly focused. Keeping an eye on the horizon (while ever sharpening their prediction skills) ensures they aren’t blindsided by external shifts.
III. Competition as a Constant Factor
Leadership isn’t just about internal decision-making—it’s about reading the competition and responding. In F1, teams don’t just focus on their own cars; they analyze every move other teams make (and the cohesion of their two drivers). Likewise, sport leaders must remain hyper-aware of market trends, competitive threats, shifting audience behaviors and the actions taken by internal groups as well as by rivals.
This is similar to the previous point about looking outward, but with a sharper focus on competitor intelligence. Agility is the key. The best leaders recognize that their data and assumptions can become outdated quickly. Effective leaders constantly seek competitor updates while scanning the horizon for shifting trends.
Doing any of the above is challenging. At high speed, the act of steering, braking and shifting gears is overwhelming. Leaders clearly can’t do it alone. But they must ask:
• Is the team structured effectively to meet the market’s demands?
• Are we doing enough to ensure we get the best possible (most accurate and timely) inputs?
• Are we listening to difficult feedback, even when it challenges leadership bias or traditional mindsets?
Leadership in the modern sport ecosystem isn’t a dance. It’s a race. And the best leaders? They’re not just on the track. They’re everywhere. In the cockpit, pit lane, ops center, film room, simulator facility … all at once. That’s because in leadership, as in F1, success isn’t just about pure speed (although that helps enormously), it’s about adaptability, teamwork, reading the field and seeing the whole race.
John Cairney is the head of the University of Queensland’s School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences. He is also the deputy executive director for the Office of 2032 Games Engagement and the Director of the Queensland Centre for Olympic & Paralympic Studies. Rick Burton is the David B. Falk Professor of Sport Management at Syracuse University and an advisor for the new Prodigy Racing League.
