Sports Performance Leadership: Nick Grantham - “Batman or Alfred? Humility, Influence, and Action in High Performance Sport
Episode 197: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast, hosted by Pete McKnight, we are joined by Nick Grantham — a leading authority in athletic preparation and performance enhancement, with over two decades of experience at the highest levels of elite sport.
Nick’s career has taken him from professional football to Olympic and Commonwealth Games programs, national governing bodies, and consultancy roles across a wide range of sports. Renowned for his no-nonsense, evidence-informed approach, Nick has helped shape the careers of athletes in football, gymnastics, netball, and beyond. As a published author and sought-after speaker, he is known for challenging conventional thinking and championing sustainable, athlete-centred development.
In this conversation, Nick shares candid insights on the evolving landscape of sports performance leadership, exploring what it truly takes to lead effectively in high-pressure, results-driven environments.
Topics Discussed:
Career Journey — From early S&C roles to consultancy and Premier League experience
Olympic & Multi-Sport Work — Coaching insights across gymnastics, netball, and professional football
Leadership Development — Lessons from mentors, management courses, and pivotal career moments
Leadership Philosophy — Values-based leadership, authenticity, integrity, and influence over hierarchy
Metaphors for Leadership — “Batman vs Alfred” and the power of tactical withdrawal
Building Trust & Influence — Humility, listening, onboarding quickly, and asking “silly questions”
Self-Development & CPD — Audiobooks, TED Talks, 360 feedback, and key reads like Dare to Lead and Radical Candor
Team & Talent Development — Reverse mentoring, psychological safety, and avoiding poor leadership promotions
Strategic Trends in Sport Leadership — Balancing “superstars” and “rock stars,” short-term vs long-term performance, and learning sideways from F1, business, and healthcare
This episode delivers a thought-provoking conversation filled with practical takeaways, leadership lessons, and reflections from one of the most respected voices in the performance community.
Where you can find Nick:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Website
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Sponsors
VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training
Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.
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Where to Find Us
Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:
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Our Website
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Our Team
Andy McDonald
Ben Ashworth
Alistair McKenzie
Dylan Carmody
Steve Barrett
Pete McKnight
South Africa