Teaming up for high performance: AGSM partners with Sydney Swans

The Sydney Swans, an organisation known for its high-performance environment, is partnering with the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) @ UNSW Business School to deliver a short course on 'Leading for High Performance'. 

It’s the first time the two organisations are coming together to deliver a unique education opportunity that draws on their expertise in building leadership capabilities and shaping culture.     

Tracey Flynn, Director, AGSM Executive Education & Short Courses, says the Leading for High Performance collaboration brings together insights and practical examples from two leading organisations in their respective fields.  

“One of the program's most exciting aspects is its dynamic blend of sports leadership principles with corporate high performance strategies,” she says. “Participants will have a rare chance to glean insights from elite athletes and coaches skilled at achieving peak performance under pressure.”

When the first cohort arrives at the Sydney Swans HQ for AGSM @ UNSW Business School’s Leading for High Performance program in October, they’ll instantly be immersed in an environment custom-built for high performance. Learning will take place in a traditional auditorium, on the training field, or in the learning centre used by athletes, and every aspect will be directly relevant to their organisation, team, and career. 

While it’s a unique chance to go behind the scenes, this leadership program is not just for footy fans. 

“You don’t have to be into sports to get the most out of this program, because it’s designed for high performing people and teams from all walks of life,” says Sydney Swans Chief Operating Officer Drew Arthurson.  

As a former elite basketball player, AGSM facilitator Denise Weinreis also understands the intersection between sports and business when it comes to developing a high performance mindset. 

“Every activity in Leading for High Performance will be ‘real play’,” she says. “It’s a lived experience that will help participants explore performance at three levels: within themselves, their teams, and their organisation.” 

A critical experience for leaders at a time when the skills to navigate and adapt to constant change and inspire team performance have never been more important – along with the ability to foster a positive culture with a clear purpose.

Reach peak performance

The program is designed for people at every stage of their career – from entry-level through to senior management. They might be at an inflection point, and want to push through to the next level of performance. What they’ll have in common is a desire to do their life’s best work.

An opportunity to connect with like-minded participants in a unique environment, the program is likely to result in strong bonds between participants long after it concludes. 

The highly tailored program will also be customised to the distinct needs of each cohort.

“Participants will be asked to write their own case study, so they can apply the insights from each exercise to their circumstances,” says Denise.

High performance immersion

Drew and Denise will co-facilitate the program, with the support of a few Swans coaches and performance analysts. 

“The course materials are practical, not hypothetical. We’ll start with an experiential activity, then map it back to the theory or framework – such as setting a vision, supporting your people, or providing feedback loops,” explains Denise. 

For example, one exercise will put participants into the coach's seat. They’ll go through real life game vision, and then zoom out to all the decisions that led to that critical moment in play.  

“The decision-making frameworks, the data you lean on, the engagement between colleagues – it all happens in real-time,” says Drew. 

Another exercise involves combining real examples of talent mapping with the guiding principles for galvanising high performance. The non-negotiables, accountabilities, and feedback loops.  

Motivational mindsets

This type of experiential learning can help participants embed motivational insights into their work, their relationships, and their mindset. And that’s what Leading for High Performance guarantees: across two days, you’ll be immersed in the mindset of a high performance leader, a high performance athlete, and a high performance coach.  

“Sometimes you have to get out of your head and do something quite different. The learning happens when you make sense of it yourself,” observes Denise. 

Drew says the program will provide practical tools to make small but significant step changes at work, or experiment with new habits. 

“One thing we know about high performance is that, to have sustained success, you need to be able to make incremental improvements. That’s what makes long-term change sustainable. And that’s one of the things we’ll tackle in the course,” he says.

Having worked with leading technology, consultancy and not-for-profit organisations in his diverse career, Drew says he’s seen how “almost every organisation’s success depends on the capabilities and culture that wrap around their people.”

“What excites me most about this program is the impact we can have on individual people, with tangible ideas that can help galvanise their performance and get them ready to do their life’s best work,” he says. 

Enrolments for the launch program on 16 – 17 October 2024 are open now and places are limited.  

Register now, or join our Leading for High Performance launch webinar on Thursday 8 August to learn more about how to create a high-performing culture in your workplace.