6B039E - Leadership and High Performance in Sport (Online) 01 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2032 | Version 0

Associated Module Information

Module Code: 6B039E
Module Title: Leadership and High Performance in Sport (Online)
Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
Faculty Group: Sport
Faculty Sub Group: Sports Coaching
Module Leader: Adam Sherratt
Module Team: Chris Emsley, Robyn Pinder
First Intended Intake: SEP 2026 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 30 Credit Level: 6
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100097 - sports management
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 0
Valid From 01 Sep 2026
Valid To 31 Aug 2032

Module Aims

  • Understand and apply leadership principles to create and sustain high-performance environments in sport. 

  • Develop practical strategies for leading diverse teams, including multi-agency collaborations and performance-driven groups. 

  • Evaluate leadership impact and effectiveness, using real-world examples and evidence-based approaches to improve practice. 

Content Summary

This module is all about understanding what great leadership looks like in sport and how to create environments where people and teams can perform at their best. You’ll explore different leadership styles, how to build trust, and why psychological safety matters for success. Each week, you’ll dive into real-world examples from sport and business, complete interactive tasks, and reflect on your own leadership approach. You’ll learn how to manage relationships with stakeholders, lead multi-agency teams, and develop strategies for high-performance cultures. The module is designed to be practical and engaging, giving you tools and insights you can use in your future career. By the end, you’ll feel confident in applying leadership theory to real situations and understand what it takes to drive performance and innovation in sport. 

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Problem/Challenge Based Learning 56
Guided Study 104
Placement 50
Formative assessment 30
Summative assessment 60
Total Hours Selected 300

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Apply leadership theories and approaches to analyse and communicate how high-performance environments can be developed and sustained in sport contexts.
LO2 Demonstrate effective professional communication by justifying leadership decisions under pressure and reflecting on their potential impact on organisational performance and culture.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Synchronous Onsite Oral Assessment Individual Presentation (Synchronous Onsite) Presentation 45 N/A 100 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Individual Presentation (Synchronous Onsite)

Reading List

Week 1 (4 items) 

Introduction to module Understanding industry stakeholders 

Leadership in sport, by Ian O'Boyle, 2015 

 | Essential 

Contemporary leadership in sport organizations, by David Scott, 2014 

 | Essential 

Credibility: how leaders gain and lose it, why people demand it, by James M. Kouzes; Barry Z. Posner, 2011 

 | Recommended 

Governance, Regulation and Management of Global Sport Organisations, by Bayle, Emmanuel, 2025 

 | Recommended 

  

Week 2 (5 items) 

Stakeholder Relationships & Networking 

Human resource management in sport and recreation, by Chelladurai, P.; Kim, Amy, 2023 

 | Essential 

Essentials of Sport Leadership : Theory and Application, by Megheirkouni, Majd; Norrington, Peter, 2025 

 | Recommended 

An Investigation into the Networking Capability of Sports Boards: A Business Approach - in Sports business journal (Online), by Seyyed Iman Ghaffari Sadr; Farzad Nobakhat; Narges Bahari; Sean Seiler, 2025-06-01 

 | Background 

A systematic review investigating mentorship programmes for women in coaching and leadership roles in sport - in International journal of sports science & coaching, by Mbatha, Thembisile; van Rensburg, Natasha Janse; Morris-Eyton, Heather, 2025-08-01 

 | Background 

Governance, Regulation and Management of Global Sport Organisations, by Bayle, Emmanuel, 2025 

 | Recommended 

  

Week 3 (4 items) 

Leading Teams (Multi-Agency Environments + Impact & Accountability) 

Human resource management: a critical approach, by John Bratton; Jeffrey Gold; Andrew Bratton; Laura Steele, 2022 

 | Background 

Inclusive Leadership : Transforming Diverse Lives, Workplaces, and Societies., by Ferdman, Bernardo M.; Prime, Jeanine.; Riggio, Ronald E., 2020 

 | Recommended 

Managing voluntary sport organisations, by Leigh Robinson; Richard Palmer, 2011 

 | Background 

Leading a National Sports Team – It Needs Passion - in Effective Executive, by Jones, Stephanie, 2025-06-14 

 | Recommended 

  

Week 4 (5 items) 

Careers 3 – Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation in Sport 

Leadership in Sport Governance, by O'Boyle, Ian; McLeod, Joshua; Takos, Nick, 2025 

 | Essential 

“It's not just a job, it's a passion”: passions and motivations of sport entrepreneurs - in Sport, business and management, by Winand, Mathieu; Bell, Euan; Zeimers, Géraldine, 2023-04-04 

 | Recommended 

From athletes to entrepreneurs: Participation in youth sports as a precursor to future business endeavors - in Journal of small business management, by Pervun, Kirill; Libaers, Dirk; Sutton, Ninon, 2024-01-02 

 | Recommended 

Innovation in national governing bodies of sport: investigating dynamic capabilities that drive growth - in European sport management quarterly, by Harris, Spencer J.; Metzger, Matthew L.; Duening, Thomas N., 2021-01-01 

 | Recommended 

Torkildsen's sport and leisure management, by George Torkildsen, 2023 

 | Background 

  

Week 5 (5 items) 

Creating High Performing Environments 

Essentials of Sport Leadership : Theory and Application, by Megheirkouni, Majd; Norrington, Peter, 2025 

 | Essential 

Leadership: theory and practice, by Peter G. Northouse, 2026 

 | Recommended 

Sport, Leadership, and Social Inclusion., by Næss, Hans Erik.; Svendsen, Mari., 2025 

 | Recommended 

Psychological Safety for Mental Health in Elite Sport: A Theoretically Informed Model - in Sports medicine (Auckland), by Walton, Courtney C.; Purcell, Rosemary; Pilkington, Vita; Hall, Kate; Kenttä, Göran; Vella, Stewart; Rice, Simon M., 2024-03-01 

 | Recommended 

The Role of Leadership and Team Culture in Enhancing Sport Performance Outcomes - in The international journal of sport and society, by Walinga, Jennifer; Obee, Patricia; Cunningham, Bart; Cyr, Danielle, 2021 

 | Recommended 

  

Week 6 (9 items) 

Leading High Performing Environments (e.g. school sport, talent pathways) 

Leading change, by John P. Kotter, 2012 

 | Recommended 

Leading organizations through transition : communication and cultural change, by Deetz, Stanley.; Tracy, Sarah J.; Simpson, Jennifer Lyn., 2000, c2000 

 | Background 

Organizational culture and leadership, by Edgar H. Schein, 2017 

 | Recommended 

  

Week 7 (6 items) 

Research Methods 3 – Evaluating Leadership Impact, Sector Case Study Analysis, Presenting Evidence for Change. 

Online research methods in sport studies, by Jamie Cleland; Kevin Dixon; Daniel Kilvington, 2020 

 | Recommended 

Research Methods for Sports Studies., by Jones, Ian, 2022 

 | Recommended 

The impact of identity leadership on team functioning and well-being in team sport: Is psychological safety the missing link? - in Psychology of sport and exercise, by Fransen, Katrien; McEwan, Desmond; Sarkar, Mustafa, 2020-11 

 | Recommended 

The Impact of Inclusive Leadership and Autocratic Leadership on Employees’ Job Satisfaction and Commitment in Sport Organizations: The Mediating Role of Organizational Trust and The Moderating Role of Sport Involvement - in Sustainability, by Oh, Jihyeon; Kim, Dae Hee; Kim, Daehwan, 2023-02-01 

 | Recommended 

The impact of values based leadership on sport coaching - in Sport in society, by Crossan, William; Copeland, Mary Kay; Barnhart, Cora, 2023-02-01 

 | Recommended 

Monitoring formal sport coach education: Lessons learned from trialling a set of monitoring and evaluation tools - in International Journal of Coaching Science, by John Lyle, 2023