I was locked in. Focused. Training hard for my 21st Cape Town Cycle Tour. Everything was on track – until life threw a curveball. An unexpected personal setback disrupted my training, and suddenly, my perfect plan wasn’t looking so perfect anymore.
That’s how it goes, right? No battle plan survives contact with the enemy. Or, as Mike Tyson so beautifully put it: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
Just ask Rassie Erasmus. In the biggest game of the Rugby World Cup, his team had to adapt on the fly. Within minutes of the final, Bongi Mbonambi was injured, and suddenly, Deon Fourie – who wasn’t even a specialist hooker – had to step up and deliver on the sport’s biggest stage. And yet, the Springboks found a way to win. This was due to the spirit and culture of the team, the belief they had in themselves and their second and even third choices… and sticking with a motto of the size of the fight in the dog being more important than the size of the dog in the fight.
They won because they had done most of the hard work before the crisis.
This applies just as much in business. When a key team member unexpectedly leaves, do you have a virtual bench of potential hires ready to step in? Have you already evaluated your team using the EOS People Analyser, so you know who aligns with your core values and who doesn’t?
💡 Prompt: How can I build a virtual bench of potential hires for my business, and how can I use the EOS People Analyser to grade talent effectively?
Luckily, I had done the same.
Even though my training had taken a hit, I had already put in months of focused preparation. I had built my fitness, performed solidly in the qualification race, and made sure my training was aligned with a clear goal. Come race day, I wasn’t firing at 100% – but I didn’t need to be.
Even at 95%, I still achieved my goal: my first sub-3h30 finish since becoming a father.
That’s the second big lesson. The best teams and individuals don’t only win when conditions are perfect. The current Springbok team has mastered the ability to grind out victories even when they don’t have their first-choice players or ideal circumstances. They’ve built the capability to win even when not at their best.
So, how do we apply this in business? We plan for the unexpected. Just like elite sports teams build depth in their squad, businesses need to bake adaptability into their planning cycles.
This is where a Quarterly Planning Day comes in. A focused day where the leadership team doesn’t just set goals but also considers:
What could go wrong in the next 90 days?
What resources would we need to still hit our targets?
Who needs to step up if something unexpected happens?
💡 Implementation Prompt: How can I structure a one-day Quarterly Planning Day focused on preparing for unexpected occurrences that might derail our plans?
But the best part of the day?
Seeing my family at the finish line, cheering me on. My mom showing up to support me. That moment reminded me why I do this. Look, I love the race. The day out, the crowds, the social afterwards. But the race is also a proxy for something bigger, and it’s a lesson I learned from my Uncle Fritz, who inspired me to take up the sport.
The Cape Town Cycle Tour is more than just a race – it’s a habit that keeps me fit and helps me maintain healthy behaviour over the festive season. More than that, it’s about Healthspan (if you haven’t read Outlive by Peter Attia, I highly recommend it). It’s about staying strong and active so I can be there for my kids – and hopefully, one day, my grandkids.
The Springboks play for South Africa, for a bigger purpose. They are proving that inclusion and high performance are not mutually exclusive. They are showing the country that we can be better than we are.
Businesses need the same clarity. If you don’t know your higher purpose, you’re just running a transactional business. However, companies that win in the long run are driven by something bigger.
💡 Prompt: What questions should I ask to uncover my company’s higher purpose?
PG’s PRO TIP: Need to Do
Life will throw distractions and setbacks your way. That’s inevitable. But if you’ve done the work, you’ll still be able to hit your goals.
So, how do you foster an innovation mindset in your business to make sure you can adapt when things don’t go according to plan?
✅ Encourage experimentation – Create space for small, low-risk tests of new ideas.
✅Embrace failure as learning – Celebrate lessons from setbacks rather than punishing mistakes.
✅ Hire for adaptability – Use the EOS People Analyser to assess candidates on flexibility and problem-solving.
✅Invest in skills development – Upskill your team in creative problem-solving and lateral thinking.
✅ Schedule innovation time – Make it a priority, not an afterthought.
💡 Prompt: What are the best tactics for fostering an innovation mindset in my business?
Because when the unexpected happens – and it will – you’ll still be able to cross the finish line.
Upcoming Workshop: AI Meets Business Frameworks
March 25: Jim Collins’s Good to Great
Scale your business with AI execution techniques. Master Level 5 Leadership, the Hedgehog Concept, and the Flywheel to gain momentum and attract the right people.
📍 Location: Workshop17, Kloof Street
🎟️ Spots Available: Only 2 left!
💡 Pricing: R1 000 per person
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