What personal competences of successful project managers are determined by their former career as an elite athlete? To answer the question, comprehensive research is carried out, implemented as part of the EEIG-EU/P-Kr/06.12/23 project. The primary aim is to establish conclusively which particular personality traits, identified and analysed using the Big Five Inventory-2 and supplemented by structured interviews, directly contribute to the success of former elite athletes transitioning into roles as effective project managers. We found that successful project managers who were also elite athletes possess personality traits that can be identified as positive determinants of success in either sport or professional careers. Among these personality traits, we can include a low level of neuroticism and a high level of conscientiousness, then extraversion and agreeableness. This paper contributes to a nuanced understanding of how the realms of sports and management intersect and overlap. The presented paper can serve as a basis for further research in the field of personality psychology and management studies.

Abdulla, H., McCauley-Smith, C., & Moradi, S. (2023). Revealing contribution mechanisms of project managers’ technical competencies toward success in oil and gas projects. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 16(4/5), 641–663. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijmpb-11-2022-0239

Ahmadi Eftekhari, N., Mani, S., Bakhshi, J., et al. (2022). Project Manager Competencies for Dealing with Socio-Technical Complexity: A Grounded Theory Construction. Systems, 10(5), 161. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems10050161

Al Amri, T., Puskas Khetani, K., & Marey-Perez, M. (2021). Towards Sustainable I4.0: Key Skill Areas for Project Managers in GCC Construction Industry. Sustainability, 13(15), 8121. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158121

Allen, M. S., Greenlees, I., & Jones, M. (2011). An investigation of the five-factor model of personality and coping behaviour in sport. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(8), 841–850. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2011.565064

Allen, M. S., Greenlees, I., & Jones, M. (2013). Personality in sport: a comprehensive review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 6(1), 184–208. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984x.2013.769614

Allik, J., Realo, A., Mõttus, R., et al. (2009). Personality traits of Russians from the observer’s perspective. European Journal of Personality, 23(7), 567–588. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.721

Arslan, V. (2024). The Role of Certification on Project Management: Perspective of PMP Certified Project Managers. Karaelmas Fen ve Mühendislik Dergisi, 14(1), 36-47.

Austin, A. B., Collins, S. M., Huggins, R. A., et al. (2021). The Impact of Environmental Conditions on Player Loads During Preseason Training Sessions in Women’s Soccer Athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 35(10), 2775–2782. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000004112

Avença, I., Domingues, L., & Carvalho, H. (2023). Project Managers soft skills influence in knowledge sharing. Procedia Computer Science, 219, 1705–1712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2023.01.464

Bedrnová, E., Nový, I., & Jarošová, E. (2012). Managerial Psychology and Sociology (Czech). Praha: Management press.

Bredillet, C., Tywoniak, S., & Dwivedula, R. (2015). What is a good project manager? An Aristotelian perspective. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), 254–266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2014.04.001

Brown, L., & Green, R. (2020). Athletic experience and leadership: An empirical study of the transferability of skills. Leadership Quarterly.

Bryan, C., O’Shea, D., & MacIntyre, T. (2017). Stressing the relevance of resilience: a systematic review of resilience across the domains of sport and work. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12(1), 70–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984x.2017.1381140

Bundon, A., Ashfield, A., Smith, B., et al. (2018). Struggling to stay and struggling to leave: The experiences of elite para-athletes at the end of their sport careers. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 37, 296–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.04.007

Chevalier, M. (2023). The athletic advantage: from an elite team sports athlete to a top management position [Bachelor’s thesis]. ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften

Clough, P. J., Earle, K., & Sewell, D. (2002). Mental toughness: The concept and its measurement. In: Cockerill, I. (editor). Solutions in sport psychology. Thomson. pp. 32-45.

Cross, J. L., & Fouke, B. W. (2019). Redefining the Scholar-Athlete. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2019.00010

Daramola, G. O., Adewumi, A., Jacks, B. S., & Ajala, O. A. (2024). Conceptualizing communication efficiency in energy sector project management: the role of digital tools and agile practices. Engineering Science & Technology Journal, 5(4), 1487–1501. https://doi.org/10.51594/estj.v5i4.1078

Davis, K., & White, S. (2018). The role of sports in developing managerial skills: A comparative analysis. International Journal of Management and Sports Studies.

De Raad, B., Barelds, D. P. H., Levert, E., et al. (2010). Only three factors of personality description are fully replicable across languages: A comparison of 14 trait taxonomies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(1), 160–173. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017184

de Raad, B., & Mlačić, B. (2015). Big Five Factor Model, Theory and Structure. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 559–566. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-097086-8.25066-6

Denissen, J. J. A., Geenen, R., van Aken, M. A. G., et al. (2008). Development and Validation of a Dutch Translation of the Big Five Inventory (BFI). Journal of Personality Assessment, 90(2), 152–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223890701845229

Eldridge, L. (2021). Similarity between sport and business. Available online: https://www.theathletetribe.com/sport-and-business-performance/ (accessed on 2 June 2024).

Eric Boyd, D., Keith Harrison, C., & McInerny, H. (2021). Transitioning from athlete to entrepreneur: An entrepreneurial identity perspective. Journal of Business Research, 136, 479–487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.07.010

Fletcher, D., & Sarkar, M. (2012). A grounded theory of psychological resilience in Olympic champions. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 13(5), 669–678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2012.04.007

Fuller, J. (2020). Project leadership skills that you can learn from sport. Available online: https://www.apm.org.uk/blog/project-leadership-skills-you-can-learn-from-sport/ (accessed on 2 June 2024).

Goff, B. (2005). From the Ballfield to the Boardroom. Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. https://doi.org/10.5040/9798400654770

Gottschling, J., Hahn, E., Maas, H., et al. (2016). Explaining the relationship between personality and coping with professional demands: Where and why do optimism, self-regulation, and self-efficacy matter? Personality and Individual Differences, 100, 49–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.03.085

Gustafsson, H., & Skoog, T. (2012). The mediational role of perceived stress in the relation between optimism and burnout in competitive athletes. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 25(2), 183–199. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2011.594045

Halama, P., Kohút, M., Soto, C. J., et al. (2020). Slovak Adaptation of the Big Five Inventory (BFI-2): Psychometric Properties and Initial Validation. Studia Psychologica, 62(1). https://doi.org/10.31577/sp.2020.01.792

Hančovská, E. (2013). Manager’s Personality and Coping. Trenčín: Trenčianska univerzita Alexandra Dubčeka.

Harris, M., & Lee, J. (2021). From athlete to entrepreneur: Leveraging sports experience in business ventures. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development.

Hatler, R. (2017). Project management traits of athletes. Arrowhead Consulting. Business consulting Tulsa. Available online: https://arrowheadconsulting.com/2017/08/27/project-management-traits-athletes/ (accessed on 2 June 2024).

Heine, S. J., & Buchtel, E. E. (2009). Personality: The Universal and the Culturally Specific. Annual Review of Psychology, 60(1), 369–394. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163655

Hřebíčková, M., Jelínek, M., Květon, P., et al. (2020). Big Five Inventory 2 (BFI-2): A Hierarchical Model with 15 Subscales. Ceskoslovenska Psychologie, 64(4).

Ionut, P., Gawrych, R., Bratu, M., et al. (2024). The role of psychological resilience and aggression in injury prevention among martial arts athletes. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1433835.

Ispas, D., Iliescu, D., Ilie, A., et al. (2014). Exploring the Cross-Cultural Generalizability of the Five-Factor Model of Personality. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 45(7), 1074–1088. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022114534769

Jackson, P. (2012). Sacred hoops: Spiritual lessons from a hardwood warrior. Hachette UK.

Jančová, M., 2023. The Influence of Professional Sports on Parents of Future Athletes in Terms of Their Expectations and Reasons for Choosing the Sport, Using Ice Hockey as an Example [Marster’s thesis]. Brno: Masaryk University.

Jenny, S. E., Manning, R. D., Keiper, M. C., et al. (2016). Virtual(ly) Athletes: Where eSports Fit Within the Definition of “Sport.” Quest, 69(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2016.1144517

Jiang, B. (2002). Key elements of a successful project manager. Project Management, 8(1), 14-19.

Kaiser, R. B., & Kaplan, R. E. (2006). The deeper work of executive leadership: A profile of excellent performance. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 9(2), 73-92.

Karamitrou, A., Comoutos, N., Brisimis, E., et al. (2024). The Role of Big Five Personality Traits, Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction, and Need Frustration in Predicting Athletes’ Organic Self-Talk. Sustainability, 16(4), 1579. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041579

Klenke, K. (2017). Sports as Context for Women’s Leadership. Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds. pp. 251-301. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78743-063-120172007

Klitschko, W., & Bilen, S. (2018). Challenge Management (englische Ausgabe): What managers can learn from the top athlete. Campus Verlag.

Knights, S., Sherry, E., Ruddock-Hudson, M., et al. (2019). The End of a Professional Sport Career: Ensuring a Positive Transition. Journal of Sport Management, 33(6), 518–529. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2019-0023

Kolesnikov, O. E., Lukianov, D. V., Sherstyuk, O. I., et al. (2019). Project manager job description as one of project managementkey success factors. Herald of Advanced Information Technology, 2(3), 215–228. https://doi.org/10.15276/hait.03.2019.5

Krumer, A., Shavit, T., & Rosenboim, M. (2011). Why do professional athletes have different time preferences than non-athletes? Judgment and Decision Making, 6(6), 542–551. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1930297500002503

Kulej-Dudek, E. (2021). The role of the project manager in the context of the process approach in project management. In: Proceedings of the Conference Quality Production Improvement-CQPI. pp. 84-95.

LaFasto, F. M. J., & Larson, C. E. (2001). When teams work best: 6,000 team members and leaders tell what it takes to succeed. Sage Publications.

Le Manh, P., Dabscheck, D., Simpson, A., et al. (2024). Pulse of the Profession 2024: The Future of Project Work. Project Management Institute.

Li, Y., Sun, T., Shou, Y., et al. (2020). What Makes a Competent International Project Manager in Emerging and Developing Countries? Project Management Journal, 51(2), 181–198. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972820901387

Lukianov, D., Mazhei, K., & Gogunskii, V. (2019). Transformation of the International Project Management Association Project Managers Individual Competencies Model. In: Proceedings of the 2019 IEEE International Conference on Advanced Trends in Information Theory (ATIT). pp. 506–512. https://doi.org/10.1109/atit49449.2019.9030486

Mirzayeva, Z. (2024). The impact of perspective competences of project manager on organizational project management success [PhD thesis]. Vilniaus universitetas.

Mohaghegh, S. D. (2024). Artificial Intelligence for Science and Engineering Applications. CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003369356

Montalbán-Domingo, L., Casas-Rico, J., Alarcón, L. F., et al. (2024). Influence of the experience of the project manager and the foreman on project management’s success in the context of LPS implementation. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 15(1), 102324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2023.102324

Newton, R. (2008). Successful Project Manager (Czech). Grada Publishing.

Odejide, O. A., & Edunjobi, T. E. (2024). Ai in project management: exploring theoretical models for decision-making and risk management. Engineering Science & Technology Journal, 5(3), 1072–1085. https://doi.org/10.51594/estj.v5i3.959

Parry, J. (2018). E-sports are Not Sports. Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, 13(1), 3–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17511321.2018.1489419

Paunonen, S. V., & Jackson, D. N. (2000). What Is Beyond the Big Five? Plenty! Journal of Personality, 68(5), 821–835. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.00117

Raab, M., & Johnson, J. G. (2004). Individual Differences of Action Orientation for Risk Taking in Sports. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 75(3), 326–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2004.10609164

Ramazani, J., & Jergeas, G. (2015). Project managers and the journey from good to great: The benefits of investment in project management training and education. International Journal of Project Management, 33(1), 41–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2014.03.012

Rammstedt, B., Roemer, L., Mutschler, J., et al. (2023). The Big Five Personality Dimensions in Large-Scale Surveys: An Overview of 25 German Data Sets for Personality Research. Personality Science, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.5964/ps.10769

Ribeiro, A., Amaral, A., & Barros, T. (2021). Project Manager Competencies in the context of the Industry 4.0. Procedia computer science, 181, 803-810.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2021.01.233

Robinson, P., & Clark, M. (2017). Leadership lessons from the sports field: How athletic backgrounds influence managerial effectiveness. Journal of Leadership Studies.

Smederevac, S., Mitrović, D., Sadiković, S., et al. (2024). The big five inventory (BFI-2): Psychometric properties and validation in Serbian language. Journal of Research in Personality, 110, 104492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2024.104492

Smith, J., & Johnson, A. (2019). From the locker room to the boardroom: Transitioning athletes into business leaders. Journal of Business and Sports Management.

Steinbrink, K. M., Berger, E. S. C., & Kuckertz, A. (2019). Top athletes’ psychological characteristics and their potential for entrepreneurship. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 16(3), 859–878. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-019-00612-6

Stoyanova, S., Ivantchev, N., & Petrova, K. (2016). Connectivity of athlete personality traits and career period as a predictor. Baltic Journal of Career Education and Management, 4(1), 41-50.

Sumadi, M. A., Sial, M. S., Gandolfi, F., et al. (2022). Impact of Big 5 Personality & Intelligence on Transformational Leadership Process and Managerial Performance: A Case of the Middle East Gulf Region. Brazilian Business Review, 21(2), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.15728/bbr.2022.1349.en

Travassos, B., Araújo, D., Davids, K., et al. (2013). Expertise effects on decision-making in sport are constrained by requisite response behaviours—A meta-analysis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 14(2), 211–219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2012.11.002

Tyndall, A. (2022). Top 10 Characteristics of an Athlete: Athletic Evolution SPT. Available online: https://athleticevolutionspt.com/top-10-characteristics-of-an-athlete/ (accessed on 2 June 2024).

Váchal, J., & Vochozka, M. (2013). Corporate Management (Czech). Praha: Grada.

Van Reenen, R. (2012). From locker room to boardroom: Converting rugby talent into business success. Penguin Random House South Africa.

Varajão, J., & Cruz-Cunha, M. M. (2013). Using AHP and the IPMA Competence Baseline in the project managers selection process. International Journal of Production Research, 51(11), 3342–3354. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2013.774473

Wei, F., Hwang, B., Zhu, H., et al. (2023). Project management for sustainable development: Critical determinants of technological competency for project managers with smart technologies. Sustainable Development, 32(4), 3654–3677. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2869

Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2023). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology. Human kinetics.

Widiger, T. A. (2017). The Oxford Handbook of the five factor model. Oxford University Press.

Wyskwarski, M. (2021). Requirements for Project Managers—What Do Job Advertisements Say? Sustainability, 13(23), 12999. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132312999

Zapletal, L., Juříček, L., & Vojtěchovská, O. (2022). Education as a returnable investment for both individuals and the whole society. Socio-Economic and Humanities Studies, 15(1), 69-94. https://doi.org/10.61357/sehs.v15i1.26