James Cluskey on Making the Leadership Transition from High Performance Sports to Business

james cluskey
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It’s fitting to bring you James Cluskey on the show as the 2023 Wimbledon Championships are playing out right now in London.

James is a former professional tennis player turned entrepreneur and private tennis coach to Sir Richard Branson. He represented Ireland in the Davis Cup from 2006-2015 and won 15 professional titles, with a career-high ranking of 145 in the world. In 2018, James and three others broke the Guinness World Record for the longest doubles tennis match, playing continuously for over 60 hours.

Since retiring from professional tennis, James has carried passion for high performance and is the founder of Give Learn, an e-learning company that offers both LIVE and on-demand classes with global experts around soft skills. Give Learn links learning to social good and allows users to earn points to donate to different social causes.

James believes in connecting people to develop their life and career. He is a passionate advocate of human interaction, whether in person or remotely. James authored the book “Advantage: Lessons In Sport And Business To Achieve Your Goals.”

Connect with James Cluskey

On LinkedIn

On his website

Recommended Books & Resources

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma

Influence by Robert Cialdini

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Episode Summary

Transition from sports to business. (5:49)
Putting yourself out of your comfort zone. (11:18)
Learning from the best in the world. (16:53)
Transition from tennis to executive coaching. (21:58)
How to navigate unfamiliar territory. (26:48)
Key takeaways from the courses. (31:48)
The importance of knowing what you’re teaching. (36:34)
What’s the number one concern for leaders of companies? (41:12)