I am lucky enough to work with a bunch of very talented construction professionals, but what continues to astound me is some of the achievements my colleagues attain outside their professional life.

I decided to investigate with two of my colleagues who each possess impressive sporting record, what cross over the dedication on the field and on the bike has in their approach to business as Quantity Surveyors.

Enter Nathan Lonie and Matthew Robertson…

Nathan was drafted in 2000, and debuted for Hawthorn in 2001 playing 64 games before joining Port Adelaide in 2006 and rounding out his career in 2008.

Matthew is a dedicated road cyclist who attained his highest honour to date in 2015 taking out the Men’s Elite Category of the Preston Mountain Classic.

Tell us about your sporting achievements and your business achievements.

Nathan: It would definitely be fulfilling my childhood dream of playing AFL on the big stage. Being able to play professional sport at its highest level with heroes and legends that I grew up watching is something most guys dream of. Now that I’ve moved away from it all, my greatest sporting achievement would have to be making a full lap around the Tan on my lunchbreak.

My biggest achievement in business is transitioning from a professional sports person into an employee at a global firm. It was quite a tangent in my life and it’s worked out very well for me.

Matthew: Sporting wise I race as a road cyclist, my biggest win to date was a race called the ‘Preston Mountain Classic’, a 135 km handicap race through Northern Victoria. It’s known to be one of the hardest handicap races.

Business wise I’ve had the good fortune of working on a number of successful projects in Victoria as my time as a Quantity Surveyor with WTP. I have gained a broad range of experience managing a large array of works and felt the greatest sense of achievement negotiating with contractors bringing works in under budget.

Which are you more proud of?

Nathan: I can’t really say which, because I was proud of both. They are steps in different directions and I’m proud to say that I’ve achieved highly in both. I’m quite proud of being able to say I hung up the boots as a pro sportsman and transitioned comfortably into the corporate life.

Matthew: The feeling of being successful in a business pursuit compared to a sporting event, race or even season is very different. Whilst work can be high paced and sometimes exhausting you don’t get the rush of adrenaline that is associated with winning a bike race. The sense of pride is also very different. I’ve found that in sport the sense of achievement is very short lived and you are only as good as your current form whereas in business your achievements tend to stick a little longer and follow you for some time.

Which were harder to achieve?

Nathan: It was definitely harder to achieve my business goals as I was going into the unknown. I had to go out of my conform zone going from kicking a ball around to actually using my analytical skills and applying myself in a business environment.

Matthew: It’s trying to find time for both which I’ve found hardest to achieve. It’s difficult to find an additional 20 to 30 hours a week to get on the bike and train when you are also working long hours. I’ll be spending hours after work on the bike trainer to ensure that my fitness doesn’t drop of during the week or when work is busy. I’m very fortunate in that I enjoy both immensely so it rarely feels like a chore.

What hurdles existed to achieve your respective goals?

Nathan: My biggest hurdle was my skillset, having gone straight from schooling life into professional sports and then quitting that to forge career in business. It was tough going back to study at university as a mature aged student and having teenager’s fresh out of school in the same class.

Matthew: I’ve heard a number of people say that there are three key parts of life; work, family and leisure. And that only two can be concentrated on at any one time. I’m trying my best to balance all three! The hardest thing is to try and stay consistent across the board. When you have a busy week at work it is hard to stick to your training programme and vis versa.  From a purely sporting perspective one of the biggest hurdles in cycling is injury. If you ride enough you are going to fall. And I’ve had my fair share of falls and broken bones of the last few years – nine to be specific. So regaining confidence and getting back on the bike is always a challenge.

How do these translate to your career?

Nathan: It translates through taking that first step, realising what you want and then doing what’s necessary to move forward, like going back to Uni, you have to do what you have to do.

Matthew: The biggest thing I’ve taken from sport into my work career is the ability to keep going and stay positive through both the peaks and the troughs. It’s important to learn from your own mistakes and the mistakes of others and not get too down when things don’t go your way.  And if things don’t go your way it is important not to do anything rash.

Who are your sporting and business icons? Why them?

Nathan: Roger Federer, he’s driven, successful, has a great demeanour and the way he presents himself is second to none. On the court he’s always respectful, calm and focussed. My business icon has to be my old man, Ken Lonie. He was a self-made man who owned his own business and worked hard every day for his family and never let us down.

Matthew: I’ve been lucky in that I haven’t had to look very far to find a role model in both. My father played Aussie rules professionally and later went on to own a successful business all whilst having a great family life and plenty of time for fun. He’s not one to really offer advice by leads with his actions. I’ve learnt from him not to take life to seriously and keep a positive outlook in times of adversity.

Do you think your sporting prowess means you’re ‘wired differently’? If so why? If not why?

Nathan: I’m not really sure, but there are traits learnt from being a professional sportsman that you bring across into your professional life. Professionalism, team work, leadership, time management all spring to mind.

Matthew: I don’t believe so.

What do you think the broader business world could learn from elite sports?

Nathan: Elite habit’s, it’s all about working as a team, as a tight unit. There has to be a connection that gives you trust and confidence in the man working beside you, knowing he has your back.

Matthew: Over the last 10 years there has been a real drive on training efficiency and technology to ensure that athletes are getting the most bang for their buck and in turn minimising injury and the changes of fatigue or burnout. I think the business world can learn a lot from this and you can see it being woven into a number of areas especially in team building and communication.

Both Nathan and Matthew have high achievements in sporting and business. These achievements somewhat being owed to the inspiration from their fathers, who’s influence as a role model has shown what is attainable with the right mentality. When it comes to distinguishing their accomplishments, neither could put one above the other. It appears that achievement itself is the driver and vehicle of their pride, not the medium in which it is attained. Reflecting on the difficulty of their achievements, it’s evident that ability in the given field is of the highest importance, with a key message from Matthew indicating that balance is crucial.

It is interesting to note that neither Nathan nor Matthew thought their aptitude in sport impacted on their drive in the business world. The determination to win and ultimately achieve is prevalent in both aspects of their lives. Their attitudes towards the final question indicated that they both value the team spirit encapsulated within sports and that the working world can benefit from these principles moving forward.

So what can we learn, as team members we must share and protect the common interest and as managers we must inspire, lead and demonstrate balance?

Stephen Hadanich