Purpose -There is a growing belief that business leaders can learn valuable lessons from successful sports coaches and athletes. This article seeks to examine the extent to which methods for achieving sporting success are applicable to business. Design/methodology/approach -The research utilised a qualitative, interview-based approach to data gathering. The data sample consisted of eight leading coaches. The interviews were analysed using template methodology. Findings -The research found that there are areas in which business leaders can learn lessons from sport, especially in terms of change and staff development.Research limitations/implications -The research is based on interviews with a small sample of coaches. In order to develop the research further, a more extensive sample is required.Practical implications -Business leaders should only focus on those aspects of sporting excellence which are applicable to the business world. However, they should also recognise that these are applicable to all levels of leadership in an organisation and not just senior managers. Originality/value -The research challenges some of the hype around the relationship between sporting excellence and business excellence, but it does show lessons can be learned in important areas of staff development, the most prominent being the ability to welcome and bring about change.

Author Contributions: Ms Warton had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

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Background: Seriously ill patients rate several health outcomes as states worse than death. It is unclear what factors underlie such valuations, and whether consideration of such states is useful when making medical decisions. Aim: We sought to (1) use qualitative approaches to identify states worse than death, (2) identify attributes common to such undesirable health states, and (3) determine how participants might use information on these states in making medical decisions. Design: Qualitative study of semi-structured interviews utilizing content analysis with constant comparison techniques. Setting, Participants: We interviewed adults age 65 or older with serious illnesses after discharge home from one of two urban, academic hospitals. Eligible patients were purposively sampled to achieve balance in gender and race. Results: Of 29 participants, 15 (52%) were female, and 15 were white (52%), with a median age of 72 (interquartile range 69, 75). Various physical, cognitive, and social impairments were identified as states worse than death. The most commonly reported attributes underlying states worse than death were perceived burden on loved ones and inability to maintain human connection. Patients believed information on states worse than death must be individualized, and were concerned their opinions could change with time and fluctuations in health status. Conclusions: Common factors underlying undesirable states suggest that for care to be patient-centered it must also be family-centered. Patients’ views on using states worse than death in decision making highlight barriers to using avoidance of such states as a quality measure, but also suggest opportunities for eliciting patients’ values.