Athletes qualify as 'elite' in club, university and national arenas, in terms of their relatively high level of ability and sporting quality. Academic staff in universities have been appointed to their posts based on their intellectual and practical research and teaching abilities/ qualities. Athletes are managed by professional sports coaches and academics are led by senior colleagues appointed for their research, teaching and academic management experience. If elite athletes and academics are compared, distinct similarities are evident. Management and Leadership studies often take examples from sport when considering qualities and lessons for individual or team success. This article considers the benefits or otherwise resulting from sports coach management in terms of the motivational climate, approach, interactions, and technique for performance improvement. It compares these behaviours and outcomes to published academics' views and the lessons revealed in HE and general business leadership studies and perspectives from a cross-section of literature.