19 Feb BECOMING EXTRAORDINARY WITH ZACH HICKMORE
Zach Hickmore is an HCPC-registered sport psychologist whose experience spans elite sport – including the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Premier League academy football and Wimbledon – as well as senior leaders in complex organisational environments.
In this conversation, Zach reflects on what his work as a sport psychologist has taught him about people, pressure and accountability, and what becoming extraordinary looks like in practice with business leaders and teams.
What drew you into sport psychology in the first place?
Seeing athletes with clear physical advantages being outperformed by less physically gifted competitors across so many sports. From a young age, I could see the value of the mental side of performance.
I experienced this myself. I was a strong swimmer but a poor runner, and that shaped my confidence and development in land- versus water-based sports. My enjoyment and belief influenced my progress far more than my physical ability. The main reason I didn’t excel in rugby and other running-based sports was my early perception of what I liked and what I was good at.
Later, when I took ownership of my development, my progress as a rugby player accelerated dramatically. Growing up, I had a fixed mindset about my potential, which limited both my performance and the joy I found in sport, and in life more broadly.
I want to help young people experience the joy of sport while shedding those limiting beliefs. At the elite level, I’m especially excited by the opportunity to support individuals who already have the physical talent or potential and develop a mindset to match. When those two things align, people become unstoppable – on and off the pitch.
What did working with elite athletes teach you about performance, pressure and people?
Elite athletes are normal people who seem to know something many others don’t… how to embrace hardship and do the work anyway. They understand that life isn’t fair, but they pursue the best they can achieve regardless. Even when the odds are against them, they keep going.
They are obsessed with learning and take accountability for everything within their control. They don’t accept limits unless they have tested them and know exactly where those limits lie. They also know when to stop, because they’ve experienced the consequences of pushing too far.
As a result, they push to 100% of their capability on the day, without wondering whether they left something ‘in the tank’. That requires a willingness to move forward, choose progress over comfort, and do what others won’t, supported by a compelling reason that makes the sacrifice worthwhile.
Everything is done with intention in service of the bigger picture. Meals, sleep, recovery, even moments of rest or activity are managed for their potential impact on a future win. They do the big things well and sweat the small stuff too.
When you started working with business leaders, what surprised you about how familiar, or unfamiliar, it felt?
When I was younger, sport was the only thing that really mattered. I assumed moving into commercial environments and working with business leaders would feel very different. Personally, I wasn’t sure it would be a values match. Professionally, I doubted how much common ground there would be. I was wrong on both counts.
People are people. As a psychologist, I quickly recognised the opportunity to support leaders, make a positive impact, and do meaningful work that creates a ripple effect – improving many lives rather than focusing on one athlete at a time.
The themes are remarkably similar. In tough moments, perfectionism, fear of failure, performance anxiety and avoidance of accountability show up in both sport and business. At the same time, you see resilience, commitment, creativity and a determination to win.
In reality, the main difference is the arena of competition and the method of expression. Elite sport teaches powerful lessons about human performance that many leaders don’t acquire organically as they progress in their careers, which creates a skills gap. Leaders with sporting backgrounds often thrive for this reason.
That’s where my worlds come together so beautifully.
Can you share an example of how your sport psychology background has directly shaped a piece of work with leaders or teams?
Many successful sports teams operate cohesively towards a shared goal, even though every player has a distinct role. The very best teams value each contribution equally and recognise that victory is impossible unless everyone performs their role effectively – think of the All Blacks or Springbok rugby teams and their ethos and values.
They actively cover for one another’s weaknesses and amplify strengths, even when that means stepping beyond their role requirements. Teams that simply occupy the same field but function independently are inevitably weaker.
The same applies in organisations. When departments operate in silos, fail to collaborate, or don’t genuinely believe others are contributing equally, overall performance suffers. In contrast, businesses that share collective accountability for both success and failure, much like elite sports teams, achieve far stronger outcomes.
What are you paying closest attention to when you’re in the room with leaders?
I pay close attention to behaviour and language – choice of words, tone, body language and facial expressions. Not because I’m trying to catch anyone out, but because it can be difficult to express your true perspective in a room where it may conflict with how others see things.
I look for these signals to help establish a shared language and support leaders in communicating as close to an objective truth as possible. That gives us something real to work with, rather than relying on clichés or buzzwords.
Above all, I value honesty, a belief that change is possible, and a commitment to exploring options. When those are present, I know we’ll make progress. It may be challenging, emotional and uncomfortable at times, but it will be real.
In your work, what does ‘becoming extraordinary’ look like in practice?
Becoming extraordinary means turning over every rock and embracing every opportunity to improve. I can be obsessive about language and thinking, getting into the minutiae of anything that might be useful. Plan, do, review – then go again. And again.
It requires taking accountability for everything within your control to improve, regardless of where the feedback comes from. Be a sponge, but with a strong filter, and apply what you learn every day. Don’t let ideas sit on a shelf and gather dust without testing them.
Becoming extraordinary is sometimes exciting, sometimes scary; other times it’s repetitive and boring. The real challenge is staying on course, not letting fear or stagnation pull you away from the work.
What continues to stretch or challenge you in your practice?
People. We are complex, and everyone is different. The real challenge for me is resisting the urge to see patterns before they genuinely exist. Assumptions are dangerous and can seriously limit your ability to help someone.
I work hard to identify patterns grounded in research on human behaviour and in the individual in front of me, rather than relying on similarities to people or situations I’ve encountered before. That isn’t easy, but if I’m going to help someone professionally, it has to come from seeing them as an individual, not as a type.
I’ve caught myself thinking of people as formulaic, only to be surprised by them. I’ve since let that idea go and accepted that we are deeper than that. A realisation that John Koenig refers to as ‘Sonder’ in The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows – the understanding that every person has a life as rich, meaningful and complex as your own.