#209 Sean Morris on Sports, Leadership, and Climate Action

The Matrix Green Pill

About Sean Morris
Sean Morris is a former professional cricketer and a visionary leader in the sports industry, now spearheading the integration of sustainability into sports through his innovative work with 1.5 Degrees Sport. With over 35 years of experience, including roles as CEO of the Professional Cricketers Association and the Rajasthan Royals IPL franchise, Sean combines strategic leadership, innovative thinking, and a passion for driving meaningful change. His journey from the cricket pitch to the boardroom and now to sustainability highlights his adaptability, learning, and inspiring influence, making him a transformative figure at the intersection of sports and sustainability.

About this Episode
In this episode, Sean Morris shares his inspiring journey from professional cricketer to a leading voice in sports sustainability with his initiative, 1.5 Degrees Sport. He discusses his transition from the field to the business side of sports, highlighting the steep learning curve he faced moving from player to business leader. As the former CEO of the Professional Cricketers Association and the Rajasthan Royals IPL franchise, Sean reflects on valuable leadership lessons, such as managing diverse teams and navigating cultural differences.

Sean also explores the challenges and opportunities of integrating sustainable practices into sports. He explains the motivation behind founding 1.5 Degrees Sport, driven by a desire to harness the vast influence of sports to promote sustainability. He discusses the creation of the first Sports Carbon Credit and partnerships with major entities like Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute and the Desert Vipers cricket franchise to advance sustainability in sports.

Throughout the conversation, Sean emphasizes the importance of education, collaboration, and embracing the lessons of sports — like learning quickly and adapting to failure. He advocates for a proactive approach to sustainability, suggesting that sports organizations can become key players in the fight against climate change by engaging their extensive fan bases.

Quotes

1:53 – When you’re learning, as long as you've got the support around you, you're okay being out of your comfort zone.

2:50 - You've got to get everyone going in the same direction.
3:14 - You've really got to get into the personal motivations with each individual and then try and shape that into a collective direction.

4:00 - You learn to be nimble, you learn to control the controllables and then manage as best you can those things that are out of your control.

4:48 - I think that's part of your personal development, of reacting the right way, knowing what's important, working out what isn't important. It's largely been steep learning curves.

5:34 - You've got to live in the moment.

19:35 - We need is everyone to get on the pitch and have a go, because we need more players. That's kind of absolutely the central foundation to tackling the challenges that are ahead of us.

20:40 - Your job is to be better tomorrow than you were today.

25:30 - Don't be worried about your lack of expertise in this space, because you'll get there very, very quickly.

Useful Links

Website: https://1-5degreessport.com/

Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmorris174/

The Matrix Green Pill Podcast: https://thematrixgreenpill.com/
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Chapters

1. #209 Sean Morris on Sports, Leadership, and Climate Action (00:00:00)

2. Pioneering Sustainability Integration in Sports (00:00:04)

3. Transforming Sports Through Sustainability Initiatives (00:08:13)

4. Sports Sustainability Initiatives and Education (00:14:53)

5. Embracing Imperfection in Sports Sustainability (00:19:51)

6. Driving Sustainability Impact in Sports (00:23:05)