Pre-Zero Sports Talk
Welcome to Pre-Zero Sports Talk, where sports, leadership, faith, community, and clean progress intersect. Hosted by Sid Bensalah, with over 30 years of global sports industry experience, this podcast isn’t about quick fixes or empty talk. It’s a platform for authentic, purpose-driven conversations that go beyond the game to explore how sports can drive positive, actionable change.
Born from a passion for impact, Pre-Zero Sports Talk dives into today’s most pressing themes: performance and well-being, leadership, innovation, coaching, community impact, sustainability, regenerative agriculture, governance, geopolitics, and more. Each episode cuts through the noise and greenwashing, engaging with trailblazers, changemakers, and thought leaders to uncover solutions and inspire new perspectives.
This is a space for real conversations with real people about real issues — stories that challenge norms, break barriers, and spark transformation. Whether you’re an athlete, coach, business leader, or someone who believes in the power of sport to make a difference, there’s a seat at the table for you.
Subscribe now to join a movement that informs, inspires, and empowers. Together, let’s redefine the role of sports in shaping a cleaner, safer, and more connected world — one episode at a time.
Pre-Zero Sports Talk
Leadership Beyond the Leader with Björn Vikard
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Episode #102 of Pre-Zero Sports Talk features leadership advisor and former COO Björn Vikard in a raw, honest, and deeply insightful conversation on leadership, succession, trust, systems thinking, and high-performance culture.
Drawing on more than 20 years of experience across Sweden, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, and Thailand, Björn shares hard-earned lessons on cross-cultural leadership, rebuilding broken trust, founder dependency, organizational culture, and why great teams collapse when leadership becomes overly centered on one individual.
Using powerful examples from Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, the All Blacks, Olympic systems, and family-owned businesses, this episode explores how leaders can build organizations, teams, and cultures that last beyond them.
We also dive into communication, marriage, parenting, AI’s impact on leadership, “gemba” leadership, sports development systems, and the importance of humility, self-awareness, and accountability.
A powerful long-form conversation for leaders, coaches, founders, athletes, and anyone interested in leadership beyond titles and ego.
Timestamps
00:00 Leadership Beyond the Leader
02:59 Culture Shock in Sri Lanka
09:49 Why Relationships Matter in Asia
12:28 Trust, Character & Self-Awareness
21:40 Systems Over Hero Leaders
27:54 Sports Coaching Cycles
31:54 Founder Succession Fears
40:49 Difficult Conversations With Owners
56:37 Different Levels See Different Problems
57:39 Gemba Leadership Explained
01:01:58 Rebuilding Broken Trust
01:09:52 Marriage & Communication
01:13:29 AI & The Future of Consulting
01:22:26 Lightning Round
01:31:06 Final Thoughts & Quote
Learn more about Björn → https://bjornvikard.com/
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