Challenges in sports can help women score in business

There are similar gender equity gaps in the athletic and business worlds. EY’s Claire shares her insights on how we can be the answer.

In brief: 

• It’s widely part of EY Canada’s culture to offer flexible working arrangements and resources that support you to pursue your personal goals.
• The skills you learned playing sports can be directly transferrable to the business world and make high-potential candidates. 
• It’s time to stand up and speak out against bias and stereotypes that hinder the progression towards gender equity.

Hi, I’m Claire Crossfield. Professional athlete. Business consultant. Daughter. Mentor. And this is my story on how sport can be the answer to help advance gender equity by challenging stereotypes and empowering women and girls to smash ceilings, break moulds and rise through the ranks of male-dominated fields or environments.

Whether on the volleyball court with my teammates, in my home surrounded by family or in the office with colleagues and clients, sport has played a critical role in my life. The confidence, passion, team building and leadership skills I’ve gained playing competitive volleyball have uniquely positioned me to take on the corporate world – and with the support of EY, I’m turning that vision into a reality.

I’m proud to work for a firm that provides its people with the flexibility and support needed to achieve both personal and professional goals. Whether it’s working remotely, taking extended time-off or encouraging work-life balance so that I have the time to train and play for the Canadian National Beach Volleyball League — having a work environment that supports my passions, fosters and celebrates diversity, while simultaneously breaking down barriers to entry and advancement, is vital to building a pipeline of next generation female leaders.

Sports can prime women for the high-stakes world of business leadership through the transferable attitudes and behaviours that competitive sports instil. Here are four strategies I’ve developed as an athlete that have given me an edge throughout my professional career:

Keeping an eye on the ball 

With a competitive fire in our bellies, athletes have an appetite for victory and a passion for accomplishment. These are qualities I fostered while playing volleyball that are now proving invaluable in the world of business consulting. Many athletes develop this tenacity in sport, instilling the ability to transform difficult emotions — such as fear or disappointment — into motivators.

Taking the lead

Sport taught me the value of learning from a great coach or more experienced competitors and this translated well to my professional career when seeking the right mentors and sponsors that could offer constructive feedback, champion my progress and suggest new strategic plays to help me reach my full potential. As I advance, I have the experience needed to pay it forward through my participation in EY’s Professional Women’s Network, by ensuring other women have access to coaching, important relationships and flexibility to achieve their goals.

Rallying the team

Growing up, playing sports provided me with a strong foundational understanding of what it means to operate within a team, both emotionally and logistically. Women athletes in leadership roles can apply a sports mindset to building and retaining high-performing teams, while rallying team members around commons goals. They can create workplaces that welcome, understand and celebrate differences, as well as seek new points of view, so that everyone can bring their authentic selves to a project.

Pushing through the finish line

Learning how to handle failure and come back fighting is an essential skill for growth, and women in sports have had a head start. They recover and bounce back quickly before speeding off in another direction — with the mental and physical agility that comes from playing a competitive sport. Not only has playing professional volleyball helped me develop resiliency at a young age, but the grit, determination and discipline I honed has served me well beyond the playing field, making it easier for me to rebound when challenged.

My experience is not unique and shows how important it is for athletes to share their stores. We’re in a position to break down barriers and change how young women and girls see future opportunities, and how the world sees them. Business leaders that understand the direct correlation between sport and successful careers and leadership should look for opportunities to partner with athletic departments of universities to identify high-potential candidates, in the same ways they currently recruit for technology, finance or business roles. 

I’m calling on women athletes to change the game and be the answer by standing up and speaking out against the prejudice, bias and stereotyping that fuel inequity. Because when we celebrate the bold individuals who inspire us and light the path forward, we can score a brighter, more equitable future in Canada.