Insight
Building Elite Teams: What Sport Teaches About Leadership in Business
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Mark Foster’s journey is anything but ordinary. A professional rugby player for 13 years, Mark transitioned from the pitch to leading finance functions at some of the world’s biggest sports organisations, including LIV Golf. That shift wasn’t accidental. From his days in a sport built on resilience and discipline, Mark learned lessons that now shape his leadership style in business.
“Sport teaches you a lot about tolerance for pain, pressure, and risk,” Mark says. Those lessons, forged in the chaos of professional rugby, became a solid foundation for building high-performing corporate teams.
Resilience underpins elite performance
In rugby, Mark faced relentless physical and mental challenges, sometimes bordering on the absurd. He recalls the self-motivation circuits dreamt up by ex-Marines: darkened rooms playing Gladiator on a loop, then dragged out to punish their bodies with burpees and boxing drills until they hit the wall.
“There is no time limit. You cannot complete this,” he remembers. “You just go and go and go.”
It might sound like a form of torture, but the lesson stuck. Mark explains that the corporate world rarely brings the same physical strain, but it does bring constant and complex problem-solving under pressure. That ability to push through and work systematically whilst staying calm, has been a powerful advantage in business.
Building a team culture of trust
Elite rugby teams, Mark says, thrive because they know each other inside out. They celebrate differences in culture, background, and mindset. From Samoan teammates sending most of their wages home to family, to British players focused on personal gain, Mark saw how these diverse viewpoints built unity and drive.
In a corporate team, the same applies. “You need different people, different backgrounds, different viewpoints,” he says. That diversity challenges thinking and helps teams adapt. For Mark, encouraging people to bring their authentic selves, and their own quirks, is the starting point of an elite culture.
He laughs about trying to apply the same rugby rituals to the office, suggesting a first-day naked initiation was probably not HR’s best idea, but the instinct was right: bring people together, strip away hierarchy, and let them bond.
“There is no time limit. You cannot complete this, but you will go and go and go. If you would like to step out at any point, absolutely. We won’t think any the worse of you. If you want to be sick, you’d be sick over there. If you want to cry, please do it at someone else’s time.” – Mark Foster, former professional rugby player and Group CEO, WinSure
Motivation, done differently
On the pitch, motivation can be visceral. It might come from that hunger to win and the instinct to protect those around you. In business, motivation is more complex, and the stakes look different.
Mark points to his role at LIV Golf, where they tried to shake up a traditional industry with a completely new proposition. Building a culture there meant challenging norms and bringing in fresh talent. He wanted people to believe they could do things differently. That same sense of purpose is what he credits for driving performance in both sport and business.
And yet, he did it.
“You don’t realise how much you can dig deep in those things. It felt like I was lifting a bus sometimes.”
Knowing when to adapt your leadership style
One area where Mark had to evolve was technical skill. “The technical stuff gets you in the room,” he says, “but it doesn’t teach you how to drive on the motorway.”
Passing finance exams at speed, he picked up the basics quickly but had to build the confidence to handle cashflow and navigate complex negotiations plus manage reputational risk. The sporting mindset helped. Just like adapting to a new opponent every week in rugby, Mark learned to adapt to different business environments, from real estate to global sporting events.
He describes working alongside diverse stakeholders and handling highly public reputational risks as being not so different from handling the front-page pressures of elite sports.
Lessons in building high-performing teams
Whether leading on a rugby pitch or in a boardroom, Mark says the common thread is team dynamics. You can’t just fill a room with high-performers and expect them to click.
In rugby, Mark remembers how different players brought different skills: wingers, props, creative 10s, and how each had a role to play. Translating that to business, he focuses on building teams that blend technical strengths, fresh perspectives, and the trust to challenge each other.
He also shares how informal culture has been a big part of his leadership style. He talks about open conversations and breaking down hierarchy, encouraging people to share ideas even if they sound wild at first. That openness fuels innovation, just as a rugby team’s half-time talk can spark a turnaround.
Her own leadership style blends optimism with accountability. “I take my work very seriously. I don’t take myself very seriously. But I will show my teeth if I need to.”
Sport as a metaphor for business
Golf, Mark argues, mirrors business surprisingly well. It is a closed skill, with limited variables, but you are still battling against unpredictable forces: weather, course conditions, mental challenges. Success comes from showing up consistently and practising while accepting you may never be perfect.
“You’re constantly trying to refine, improve, and get better,” he says. “It’s the pursuit of the potentially possible.”
That’s the same drive Mark applies to his work in high-growth sports businesses and advisory boards. Whether building global golf franchises or launching technology products, he finds the mindset from sport: improvement, perseverance, adaptability, to be a constant advantage.
“It’s the pursuit of the potentially possible. You’re constantly trying to find ways to improve, to refine, to get better. And that kind of perpetual pursuit of something which you’re probably never going to perfect is exactly the same as running and growing a business.” – Mark Foster, former professional rugby player and Group CEO, WinSure
Advice for aspiring lessons
For those looking to build their own high-performing teams, Mark offers a simple challenge: know the difference between your “shit” and your “shit.”
He means it literally, know what you know, and what you don’t. That humility, combined with relentless curiosity, sets the stage for personal growth and for shaping a team culture that welcomes challenge and supports ambition.
Mark’s parting advice? Try everything early. Just like a young athlete playing every position, a young professional should gather as many experiences as possible. The skills will cross-pollinate and serve you well in unpredictable times.
Takeaways for leaders
Mark Foster’s journey shows several key lessons for leaders building elite teams:
- Resilience is a true differentiator: The ability to withstand pressure, adapt, and keep going matters more than raw talent.
- Diversity fuels progress: Different backgrounds and perspectives create stronger, more innovative teams.
- Build trust early: Genuine relationships and openness break down hierarchy and build team cohesion.
- Keep learning: Stay humble, know your gaps, and be curious. That mindset sets you apart in any field.
These lessons, forged in sport, translate powerfully to business leadership.
Listen to the episode of the STOIX Podcast
To hear Mark Foster’s full conversation, watch the complete podcast episode here:
To connect with Mark or explore more of his experience and insights, head over to Mark’s LinkedIn profile.