Mark Adamoulas - Coach Up or Fall Behind: Building High-Performing Teams

Episode 194: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast, hosted by Pete McKnight, we are joined by Mark Adamoulas — a performance leader whose 20-year career has spanned across sport, education, and the corporate world.

Mark’s track record is both diverse and exceptional: he has worked with Manchester United, the FA, Red Bull, and numerous global corporates, supporting C-suite leaders, Premier League managers, Olympic gold medalists, and VC/PE companies. His mixed heritage and multilingual background allow him to connect authentically with people from varied cultures and contexts, bridging high-performance environments across industries and geographies.

As co-founder of coachup, Mark leads on coach development, bringing the latest behavioural science into the world of sports coaching. Where traditional coaching development often focuses on skills, drills, and tactics, Mark and his team shine a spotlight on the most critical driver of sustained success: the team environment.

Topics Discussed:

• Mark’s background — Greek heritage, move to the UK, and path into sports psychology
• Professional experience — Work with Manchester United, the FA, Rugby League, Red Bull, and more
• CoachUp — Neuroscience-based psychometric tools for team function
• The Infinity Model — Core pillars for building high-performance environments
• Practical applications — Lessons from the Crusaders and elite teams worldwide
• Benefits for leaders — Improving team alignment, collaboration, and performance
• Barriers — Overcoming skepticism, poor prior assessment experiences, ego and fear of feedback
• Evidence base — Validation by Oxford and Harvard neuroscientists
• Leadership ecosystems — Why building systems matters more than hiring experts alone
• Future trends — Rising pressures on athletes and staff, and the urgent need for better psychological environments
• Call to action — How leaders can engage with CoachUp in both sport and corporate settings

This conversation delivers a rare insight into the science and practice of team performance, blending psychology, neuroscience, and leadership to show how high-performing cultures are built — and sustained — in today’s most demanding environments.

Key Points

• Leadership in sports requires a deep understanding of team dynamics and the ability to foster a high-performance environment. This involves creating a shared identity and purpose among team members, which is crucial for aligning efforts and achieving collective goals. Psychological safety is a key component, allowing team members to take risks and express ideas without fear of negative consequences, thus fostering innovation and collaboration.

• The CoachUp tool is designed to enhance team performance by focusing on three core areas: identity and purpose, operational function, and growth and progression. It emphasizes the importance of goal clarity and role clarity, ensuring that each team member understands their responsibilities and how they contribute to the team's objectives. This clarity helps prevent misunderstandings and promotes efficient teamwork.

• Psychological safety is emphasized as a foundational element for successful teams. It involves creating an environment where team members feel safe to express their thoughts and ideas, make mistakes, and engage in constructive disagreements. This safety net encourages open communication and helps teams navigate challenges more effectively, ultimately leading to better performance.

• The integration of neuroscience into leadership tools like CoachUp provides a scientific basis for understanding team dynamics and improving performance. By leveraging advances in brain imaging and data interpretation, the tool offers insights into the cognitive and behavioral aspects of team interactions, helping leaders make informed decisions to enhance team cohesion and effectiveness.

• Leadership in high-performance sports involves managing diverse teams of experts, each with their own perspectives and biases. Effective leaders must navigate these differences, fostering an environment where diverse opinions are valued and integrated into the team's strategy. This requires a balance between leveraging individual expertise and maintaining a unified team vision.

• The CoachUp tool's infinity model emphasizes continuous growth and development. It encourages leaders to regularly assess and refine their team's identity, purpose, and operational strategies. This cyclical approach ensures that teams remain adaptable and responsive to changing circumstances, maintaining their competitive edge in high-pressure environments.

• The tool also highlights the importance of creating a motivational climate within teams. Leaders are encouraged to use both rewards and constructive feedback to motivate team members, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. This approach helps maintain high levels of engagement and commitment, driving the team towards achieving their goals.

• Leadership in sports is not just about technical expertise but also about developing people and teams. The CoachUp tool supports leaders in cultivating an environment where team members can thrive, emphasizing the importance of mentorship, coaching, and support in developing future leaders within the organization.

• The tool's focus on mitigating biases and enhancing communication is crucial for effective team collaboration. By encouraging leaders to regularly check for biases and promote open dialogue, the tool helps teams overcome potential barriers to collaboration, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued in the decision-making process.

• Finally, the CoachUp tool provides a comprehensive framework for leaders to assess and improve their team's performance. By offering insights into team dynamics and providing actionable feedback, the tool empowers leaders to make informed decisions that enhance team cohesion, performance, and overall success in high-stakes environments.

Where you can find Mark:

• LinkedIn
• CoachUp
• Research Gate

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.