I came across this graphic shared by Robbie Simpson and it captures something I see often when working with leaders and teams.

At first glance, it contrasts training and performance. Professional athletes spend significant time training, while the corporate world seems to expect constant execution. That difference feels familiar to many people at work.

But at its core, this is not about training time. It’s about the conditions in which learning happens.

I spent many years as a rugby player and now train as a marathon runner, and one thing has been consistent across sport: practice happens in an environment where mistakes are expected, feedback is immediate and improvement comes from repeated adjustment.

Performance grows because learning is continuous and visible.

In many organisations, the expectation is to be “performance ready” from day one. Learning still happens on the job, but often without the psychological safety needed to try, fail and adapt openly. When that happens, people protect outcomes instead of improving capability.

From my experience, sustainable performance comes from shortening the learning loop, not eliminating mistakes. Teams grow faster when they can test ideas, receive feedback and course-correct without fear.

The real question for leaders is not how much formal training is provided, but whether the work environment allows people to learn while delivering results.

That’s where performance cultures are truly built.