Middle-distance running is uniquely honest.

Unlike a sprint where raw power might carry you through, or a marathon where you can adjust your pace, middle-distance races - the 800m, 1500m - demand everything. You're running near maximum effort for minutes, not seconds. There's no hiding poor preparation behind talent or tactics. When you hit that final stretch and your body screams for oxygen, your training either sustains you or it doesn't.

The track reveals exactly what you've built in all those early morning sessions.

The Beauty of Transparent Systems

I see the same principle in high-performing delivery teams. Whether I'm wearing my consultant hat, leading delivery, or managing stakeholders, the coaching mindset is what makes the difference. It's about creating genuine transparency - not surveillance, but real visibility into how work flows and where value gets created.

Not to catch anyone out. But to understand.

Because here's what I've learnt: most people aren't trying to hide anything. They just can't see into the black boxes of their own processes. They'll tell you straight up: "I don't know what happens in there."

That's not failure. That's opportunity.

Daily Training vs Race Day

Athletes understand something fundamental: you don't perform under pressure by magic. You perform because of all those ordinary Tuesday mornings when you did the work.

• The extra stretching when no one's watching

• The technique drills that feel tedious

• The recovery days when you want to push harder

• The small habits that compound over months

Delivery teams are no different.

When you're investing daily in:

• Clear communication patterns (how we talk to each other matters)

• Process optimisation (yes, even the small stuff)

• Psychological safety (built conversation by conversation)

• Adopting and actually using the tools properly (not just going through the motions)

• Maintaining good hygiene in your systems of record

...you're not just "doing admin." You're building muscle memory for when it matters.

The Coaching Mindset in Every Role

Here's what I've discovered: whether you're a delivery manager, consultant, team lead, or executive - if you're responsible for getting a group of people to deliver something together, you need to think like a coach.

That means:

• Creating conditions for performance, not demanding it

• Building capability gradually, not expecting instant transformation

• Shining light on the system to reveal leverage points

• Providing support before anyone asks for it

• Celebrating small improvements that compound into excellence

This isn't a "nice to have" soft skill. It's the difference between teams that buckle under pressure and teams that rise to meet it.

What Happens Under Pressure

I've watched this play out countless times. When a critical deadline hits, when the executive team needs answers, when the system comes under real pressure - that's your race day.

Teams that have done the daily work? They flow. They adapt. They support each other naturally because collaboration is already in their muscles. The pressure doesn't break them - it reveals the strength they've been building all along.

It's beautiful to watch. Like seeing an athlete hit their stride in the final stretch, everything clicking, all that training paying off in one sublime moment of performance.

The Privilege of the Coaching Role

Whether I'm formally coaching or simply bringing that coaching mindset to consulting engagements, the approach is remarkably similar to an athletics coach:

• The small daily nudges ("How's that action item tracking?")

• The process improvements ("What if we tried this approach?")

• The motivation on tough days ("Remember why we're building this")

• The celebration of progress ("Look how far you've come")

But mostly, I'm there to shine a light - not a harsh spotlight to expose flaws, but a warm, clear light that helps everyone see the system as it really is. To find those leverage points that, once addressed, unlock the potential that was always there.

The Moment It All Comes Together

You know what's genuinely rewarding?

It's race day. When the pressure's on. When everything you've been building together gets tested.

And you get to step back and watch the team absolutely nail it. Not because they suddenly became brilliant under pressure, but because they'd been building that brilliance all along, rep by rep, day by day, improvement by improvement.

They trained properly. So when it mattered, they were ready.

That's what great teams do. They don't compete every day - they prepare every day. So when the moment comes, they don't just survive the pressure. They thrive in it.

And here's the thing: every delivery leader, every consultant, every person trying to get a group to achieve something together - you're a coach whether you realise it or not. The question is whether you're coaching deliberately, building that daily excellence, or just hoping the team will somehow perform when it matters.

What are you and your team training for today? And more importantly - are you coaching them toward readiness, or just managing them toward deadlines?