Blog post 3 Inspire

INSIGHT 2 | MINDSET MATTERS

Innovators tend to either race ahead or hesitate.

Rarely anything in between.

Which camp are you in?

Either way, that is precisely the moment to think again.

in² | Mindset Matters 

Pause for pace... Counter intuitive yet impactful

Now you’re likely a doer, someone in action, making purposeful strides to your goal; a trait I recognise in myself.

Ever thought what makes a great athlete; someone truly at the top of their game? For me it’s often the person who stays calm and measured in the moment.

Take a high jumper, for example. Where does the success really happen? In the run-up, the leap, or the landing?

For me, it’s in the pause. That rock-back on your heels where you visualise the whole journey from start to finish. Without that clarity, your technique suffers. Every step becomes less efficient, less purposeful, and your rhythm falls apart.

Nobody, but no one, jumps as high as Sweden’s Armand Duplanti, the current men’s pole vault world-record holder, a serial incrementalist who as recently as August 2025, stretched the target to a nicely rounded 6.3m (20 ft 8in). This represents an increase of 13cm since he first broke the record back in 2020. On first impression this seems almost insignificant when spread over 5 years don’t you think?

But then you realise just how close Armand must be to the limits of what’s humanly possible. In that context 13cm is absolutely huge. The pole technology naturally plays a part, the evolution from bamboo to aluminium to carbon fibre is significant. But it’s the athlete’s ability to carry the pole at speed and plant it with accuracy that really matters. In this context Armand is a master of control and consistency in mindset.

I’m guessing you’re not a world-class athlete, but in your business, you are the strongest link. So, take time to reflect, visualise the path, and set your rhythm before you act to keep momentum when it matters most.

Counter intuitive? Yes.

In action? Absolutely.

More focused? You bet.

Greater clarity? Significantly so.

Having the courage and discipline to pause will ensure you burst out of the blocks, rising with every step, powerfully in motion, almost serene as you effortlessly break the tape.