“Modern pentathlon shapes the leaders of tomorrow” - Attila Mizsér
- Oct 18, 2019
- 6 min read
Interview with Attila Mizsér, Olympic champion pentathlete, businessman, motivational speaker, and communications expert
The TÉT program, which you conceived and which aims to bring sports and businesses closer together in a novel way, made its debut at the World Pentathlon Championships.
I’ve been working on the TÉT program for two years now, and I’ve been sharing its core principles with prominent figures in both the domestic and international sports communities; I’m interested in their opinions. It all began in 2017 at the World Modern Pentathlon Coaches Congress in Manchester, where I presented the concept: modern pentathlon needs a set of values through which it can present itself to the world, convey messages, and reshape its future with a business-minded approach. There, I also promised that elements of this would already be visible at the 2019 World Championships in Budapest. The “TÉT in Sports, TÉT in Business” program aims for innovative collaboration between the two competitive spheres. Our target audience is companies, the corporate world. We are not primarily thinking in terms of sponsorship, but rather we want to establish a multi-faceted cooperation. The program has three main objectives to be achieved: 1. attracting funding for the sport of modern pentathlon from the corporate world, 2. preparing athletes for life after sports, shaping their self-image and vision for the future, 3. providing corporate employees with an experiential connection to the sport. These three pillars are therefore grounded in both human-centered and financial considerations, though they are not ranked in order of importance; each is equally vital, and, to use a sporting metaphor, they operate in “tandem.”
What methods did they use to reach their target audience?
First, with our corporate Laser Run relay challenge (a 200-meter run with five targets to hit), we showed companies that this sport can be played anywhere, under any circumstances: on a concrete field or even in the courtyard of their headquarters. It’s safe, non-hazardous, and eco-friendly. Wherever you can run a 50-meter loop, Laser Run works. Globally, sports face the challenge of how to get closer to people; we need to bring the sport to them. This is how we give companies a taste of modern pentathlon. Our second program element, the pentathlon exhibition, was hosted in the impressive auditorium of Kincsem Park. We framed the exhibition’s main message as: modern pentathlon shapes the leaders of the future. The exhibition was displayed across two wall surfaces. One featured the five values of modern pentathlon and three former pentathletes serving as role models: Bea Simóka (now a lawyer), Attila Szalay-Berzeviczy (currently Managing Director of Raiffeisen Bank International AG), and Gyula Bretz (President of the Hungarian Modern Pentathlon Federation for the past three years and Chairman and CEO of Uvaterv) were featured with brief biographies and a few personal reflections, clearly demonstrating their achievements in sports and as leaders. This serves primarily as an inspiring career model for athletes and their families, but the positive examples could also be informative for companies. On the other wall, the photo from last year’s Citadella Laser Run was aimed at companies. The exhibition included a list outlining the benefits of participating in the partnership, demonstrating that it is a win-win situation for everyone. Volunteering is also part of the program, and we welcome company employees to join us. This also benefits modern pentathlon, as a volunteer corps of experts could be established within a few years. We already have applicants who view it as a form of team building and a useful leisure activity; one company is specifically interested in this, while others were drawn to the program by the active lifestyle, employee well-being, and the energizing aspect. For the World Championships, we set up the pentathlon kids’ park, where everything could be tried out; there was a very young child who started on an inflatable horse or fenced with a plastic épée. The target audience there was the parents, so they would understand that if they send their child to do pentathlon, they are not only raising an athlete but also preparing them for life after sports. This is also a message for parents: if we send our child to do pentathlon, we are preparing them for life. We want to leverage the knowledge available within companies so that middle and high school students can begin to encounter experiences and build relationships that may prove useful later on, familiarize themselves with various industries, and decide which field interests them. We support further education, including dual training programs. Speaking from personal experience, I benefited greatly in the banking industry from what modern pentathlon taught me, which is why I was able to become a successful leader. We would like to draw attention to the fact that companies can view pentathletes as future talent. Pentathlon teaches life skills that are rare and aren’t even taught in college. It prepares people for leadership in many ways.
What specific skills do you think are characteristic of pentathletes, and what set of values can be associated with them?
In corporate development, a key question is always whether management has a self-image and a brand identity—what it wants to convey to the world about the company. Companies define the values they want to operate by, such as an integrity charter or a corporate philosophy. And my idea was that we needed to do the same for modern pentathlon. I view sports as a company: if a sport wants to develop, it needs a corporate philosophy—that was my basic idea. I compiled 10–15 skills, such as strategy development and self-motivation—ideas and values that are expected in the business world, especially of leaders. And modern pentathlon provides all of these. Just one example: it is already an achievement that the five discipline coaches must work together simultaneously and in a coordinated manner. This requires a systems-oriented approach, managed holistically and in collaboration with various fields. However, it is not easy to narrow down the list of skills and highlight only the most relevant ones. In 2017, we conducted a comprehensive survey involving more than 300 participants, including athletes, coaches, family members, sports journalists, and businesspeople with a background in sports. Based on these findings, we identified the five values of modern pentathlon. Since it’s modern pentathlon, we stuck with five—in true style. The five values are: 1. purposefulness, 2. self-motivation, 3. time management, 4. decision-making, and 5. focus. In this way, modern pentathlon aims to set an example for other sports, encouraging them to articulate the messages they wish to convey to athletes, parents, companies, and society.
What happens to the program after the World Cup? What opportunities for collaboration have arisen with the companies?
We put a lot of work into it and were really excited to see how the message of the TÉT program would be received; the feedback has been positive, so we’re going to keep going. We also shot videos and films at the World Championships, which we’ll be promoting later on. There will be forums and conferences. We already have supporters; Óbuda University, for example, has offered us lecture halls. We can hold motivational training sessions with our successful competitors. Coach training is also my pet project—whether you’re a coach or a leader. A leader in the business world needs the same skills as a coach: conscious communication and motivation. Coaches don’t receive this kind of training at all, but within the framework of the program, we can create this opportunity for them. It’s also worth looking at the TÉT program from an HR perspective; we can offer companies things they would otherwise include in their corporate budget, and we’d like them to recognize the potential in modern pentathlon and invest in it. In October, we plan to organize an event to which we will invite the companies that have already come into our sights. We are currently in the budget-planning period this fall, and I am confident that we will succeed in winning the companies’ trust for 2020 as well and get them on board with the program. I will also promote it internationally; there is interest, and people are curious about what can be achieved with such a program. Hungary has already contributed a great deal to modern pentathlon, and I believe it will continue to do so.
Végh Nóra Judit
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