Episode 35: Leadership, Process, and High Performance with Dr. Marco Cardinale
1 hour 10 mins
Dr. Marco Cardinale has worked with and continues to work with the highest performers in the world (athletes, coaches, administrators, physicians, nurses, and surgeons, among others). He is currently the Executive Director of Research and Scientific support at Aspetar in Qatar. Before that, Dr. Cardinale was the Head of Sports Physiology at the Aspire Academy in Qatar. From 2007 through 2013, he was the Head of Sports Science and Research at the British Olympic Association. In this role, he was the Head of Science for Team GB at Beijing (2008), Vancouver (2010), and London (2012) Olympics. Dr. Cardinale holds a B.Sc. from ISEF in Italy, an M.Sc. from the US Sports Academy in the USA, and a Ph.D. from Semmelweis University in Hungary. Professor Cardinale holds two honorary academic appointments, one at University College London (UCL) in the Division of Surgical and Interventional Medicine and the Department of Computer Science and the other at the University of Plymouth.
When Dr. Cardinale was completing his education, sport science was an emerging profession. Endlessly curious and willing to travel, his journey was driven by a will to learn and also guided by a phrase his Greek and Latin teachers imparted upon him (loosely translated to English):
“When you are a guy with one eye, and everyone else around you is blind, you are the king.”
He explained to us that throughout his career, he has been looking for his eye! We think it is clear that he found it. However, early on in his studies and career, he figured out that he needed to identify how to differentiate himself so that he was employable. Whether that was learning different languages, understanding how to bring detailed data analysis to sport, or simply (early on) being able to use excel, he was consistently seeking out ways to bring value to the groups he worked with.
Our conversation with Dr. Cardinale yielded reflections and advice on various topics including leadership, the importance of people and process as well as diversity and inclusion. We also talk about youth athlete development and the definition of success. Dr. Cardinale’s experience with high performers in international contexts is enlightening and entertaining. We are grateful he chose to spend time with us. We hope you enjoy the discussion.
To learn more about Dr. Cardinale, visit his blog or connect with him on Twitter or Instagram
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favourite podcast platform.