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Sell with us- Mark Harris: Managing Director & Founder of New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty
- 9th Apr 2025
LESSONS FROM PETER BURLING
Navigating Success
What do world-class sailing and high-performing teams in business have in common? More than you might think.
At our recent NZSIR National Networking Event, I had the honour of sitting down with Olympic gold medallist and America’s Cup sailing legend Peter Burling alongside Clodagh Hall. What unfolded was an inspiring conversation filled with insight, humility, and a few surprising parallels between elite sport and professional success.
I had the privilege of sitting down with Peter Burling an exceptional sailor and Olympic champion, during our National Networking Event, alongside Clodagh Hall.
After professing a long held 'man-crush' for Peter and his trail-blazing success in professional saling, we sat down in front of the entire NZSIR team to talk through his journey, the inspirations that shaped him, and the lessons he's learned along the way, including a few surprising parallels we didn’t expect.
Above: Peter Burling, Clodagh Hall and Mark Harris at NZSIR's National Networking Event, April 2025
Reflecting on our conversation and the insights Peter shared, here are my top takeaways:
- Surround yourself with talented and ambitious peers. This environment keeps you focused and constantly striving for improvement. The people around you can significantly influence your drive and determination.
- Celebrate every achievement, no matter how small. Celebrations, even for minor successes, can boost morale and keep the team energized.
- A team needs a collective purpose. Shared goals create a strong sense of unity and drive everyone towards a common objective.
- Take actions that make you responsible for your own destiny. The sooner you do this, the better you’ll be at dealing with risks.
- And, don't be afraid to take risks, but be candid when things aren’t going as planned. Having clear timeframes to resolve issues is essential.
- Success can be achieved in split-second decisions if your team is set up for success with honest communication and an open flow of information.
- Success is cyclical. There will be highs and lows. Your support network is essential to keep you grounded during the highs and hungry during the lows.
Above: Q&A at NZSIR's National Networking Event, April 2025
Peter also spoke passionately about ocean health, a concern that was sparked for him during the 2017/18 Volvo Ocean Race. Peter and Blair Tuke decided to found the Live Ocean Foundation, with the vision of using their sailing platform to connect people to the issues the ocean faces, to create a healthy ocean for a healthy future.
Learn how you can make a difference with Live Ocean.