From chaos to clarity: how leaders leverage the value and impact of the multidisciplinary team in elite sport

Purpose/Rationale This study explores how leaders in elite sport environments maximise the impact of multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) to enhance athlete performance and drive organisational success. It addresses a gap in the existing literature on leadership's role in leveraging the value of MDTs in complex high-performance sporting contexts. Design/Methodology/Approach The research employs a qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews with eight (n = 8) leaders from diverse sports backgrounds. A reflexive thematic analysis was applied to capture rich, contextual insights and to construct a model of leadership strategies for optimising MDT functioning. Findings Leaders attend to two interrelated domains: the people domain, which focuses on fostering professional intimacy, establishing high-performance climates and enabling collaboration; and the context domain, which involves navigating complexity, exercising good judgement and solving performance problems. Effective leadership requires balancing these domains while exhibiting confidence and adaptability in high-stakes environments. Practical Implications The findings provide a framework for leaders and sport organisations to enhance and extract the value of MDT performance through structured problem-solving, clear communication and alignment of diverse expertise. Research Contribution This study contributes to understanding leadership of MDTs in elite sport, offering new insights into how leaders leverage MDTs and attempt to transform inherently complex systems into clarity. Originality/Value This study introduces a novel model that identifies what leaders do and what they attend to when leveraging the expertise within MDTs, presenting strategies to manage the complexity and uncertainty that exists in these contexts effectively.