Why Building Tolerance is the Secret to Sustainable Success
Everyone is talking about the UK and European record heatwave this week. Whilst most of us sigh with relief when we feel a slither of breeze moving the (hot) air around our desks, the players currently at Wimbledon have no choice but to carry on and play their best tennis!
Playing tennis / going for a run / training in high temperatures is no joke. Heart rates spike, the body tires faster, and screams for relief. But here’s the twist: when we train long enough in the heat, we adapt. We sweat smarter, burn less energy, and recover faster. Suddenly, what once felt impossible becomes more ‘normal’.
This is termed ‘heat adaptation’ – and let’s hope that the Wimbledon athletes have embraced it prior to the tournament! Heat adaptation is also a powerful metaphor for leadership skills development.
Tolerance First, Performance Later
Leaders often face the “heat” in a different form: pressure, uncertainty, rapid change, challenging conversations or high-stakes decisions. At first, these situations can drain us. But like a tennis player in training, the more we face them with intent, the more resilient we become.
We learn to keep calm under pressure. We make better decisions with less effort. We conserve energy for what matters most.
Adaptation is Not Immediate but, With Practice, It’s Inevitable
Just as a tennis player doesn’t become Wimbledon Champion in the middle of a heatwave without preparation, leaders don’t master high-pressure environments overnight. It takes deliberate exposure, reflection, practice and feedback.
The key is progressive exposure: lean into challenge, debrief afterward, and come back stronger.
Achieve More Using Less Energy
What separates high-performers – whether on the tennis court or in the boardroom – isn’t just raw ability. It’s how efficiently they operate under stress. They’ve trained for the heat. They’ve learnt to adapt. They’ve turned chaos into clarity.
And you can too.
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