EVERY four years the Olympics rolls around and reminds us that TV listings mean nothing for a month and that sport and business have a lot in common, writes Neil McLoram.

The bottom line is about striving for excellence, be it in a stadium, on a running track or in the boardroom.

Both demand the right preparation, focus and drive in order to win.

But while business success may be subjective, sport is definitive.

Stepping onto a podium transforms a medal-winning athlete into an icon admired by millions.

Olympic medallist Kriss Akabusi is among many speakers doing the rounds who provide their thoughts to audiences eager to glean insider secrets from high achievers.

Many other athletes from the Olympic and Commonwealth games have become sought-after business speakers, based on the belief that companies can learn invaluable lessons from those who excel.

But can this relationship be over-simplified?

Can simply booking a medal-winning star for a half-hour lecture be enough to inspire a workforce?

Adrian Moorhouse, a powerhouse of British swimming and an Olympic gold medallist, believes the sports metaphor can be used, but it has to be done in a more thorough way.

He suggests there have to be direct learning applications that will help employees improve their performance at work.

He said: "What a sports psychologist teaches an Olympian should apply equally to a business person.

“When I was competing, a sports psychologist would work with me as a swimmer, then work with a runner and a rower.

"They didn’t have anything to do with our technical coaching, instead, they helped us to manage pressure and sustain our performance.

"If you’re a businessman, you’ve got your goals, you’ve got your team and you’ve got high pressure.

"It’s the same thing.”

Mr Moorhouse is now managing director of Lane4, a performance consultancy that helps organisations build competitive advantage through individual and team development.

The company, which takes its name from the fourth lane in a swimming pool (traditionally reserved for the fastest heat winner) was set up by Moorhouse and works with brands such as Coca-Cola, Nestle and BT.

Mr Moorhouse says the corporate world can learn a lot from what happens on the track or in the pool, especially in goal-setting.

He said: “In business, a lot of people talk about numbers; they talk about revenue, profitability, KPIs, unique numbers.

“In business, I am always curious when someone gives me a figure as a goal. Why?

"I was talking to a drug company, and they eventually said their target was to save more lives by developing a life-saving drug.

"That was more interesting than the number they had just told me.”

Number-crunching has become a big part of both sport and business, but it is important not to over-rely on it.

Since the data you can collect is so powerful, there is a risk you can force players into styles of play that fit your master template, but as a result, the players lose their creative flair.

Businesses have looked at sport and the power teams have derived from using analytical methods to monitor individual performances and interactions and they’ve incorporated them into how they measure the performance of their staff.

Sport can provide a range of lessons to a range of businesses, often a bit of thinking from outside their world helps business people to see things a little clearer.

The spectrum of possibilities across which sport can help business extends from the number-crunching algorithms of the call centre and the optimisation of logistics to the inspiration borne out of consultation or the creative spark at a seminar.

Ultimately, sport provides a clearer view of our world by creating a microcosm of stresses and strains, wins and losses, to which we can all relate.

The underlying way businesses work is not that difficult.

What you are after is a bit of inspiration or a slightly different context to help you see your own challenges in new ways.

Neil McLoram works in business development at wealth management firm, Brewin Dolphin, in Newcastle.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily the views held throughout Brewin Dolphin. No director, representative or employee of Brewin Dolphin accepts liability for any direct or consequential loss arising from the use of this document or its contents. Any tax allowances or thresholds mentioned are based on personal circumstances and current legislation which is subject to change.