Pressure Is Privilege – with Alex Scott MBE

This week, Kevin chats to footballer, broadcaster and Strictly Come Dancing fan favourite, Alex Scott MBE, who joins the show to talk about the unexpected similarities between football and dancing, the importance of constantly finding new challenges, the qualities that make a good leader, why hard work matters more than talent, and the incredible story of Alex’s journey so far. Plus, tea and cake come courtesy of a very special guest... KEY TAKEAWAYS There are a striking number of similarities between dancing and football, most notably the audience interaction and the team dynamics that come through being part of such a huge coordinated effort. The training, too, is very similar in terms of the correct diet, the fact that rest is encouraged and planned for, and that the performances are a mixture of excitement and nerves. Leadership is becoming a person who puts the team before the individual. Alex has been selected as leaders of many of her ventures, especially in sport, for this very reason.  When you’re participating in such high-pressure activities, it’s vitally important to make sure that we enjoy what we’re doing. These chances don’t come around very often, and being there is a privilege’ Alex remains thankful for each moment of her incredible journey. Growing up, she never thought it was possible to live such a happy and varied life, and so makes sure to enjoy each day, and to marvel at how far she has come. People so often only see the end result, and don’t consider the process that goes into it. There are pressures, intensity and incredible amounts of hard work and training behind the scenes of any kind of performance, that often go unrecognised. Talent will give you a short-term leg up, but it’s hard work that gets you to where you want to go. Kevin was rejected twice for Strictly, and Alex is often dismissed as a presenter or broadcaster by those who say she is part of someone’s agenda. But their persistence and hard work have seen them rise to the top of their professions. We are always the person responsible for what we have done. Accountability and self-analysis have been the driving factors behind Alex’s remarkable success. Alex’s professionalism came to the fore when she found herself having to change partners during the Strictly series, due to her original partner being injured. But as she puts it, if you panic in those situations, it prevents the job from being done. Always look for the positives and get the job done. BEST MOMENTS ‘You’ve got to eat your food, you’ve got to rest, you’ve got to go again. It’s repeat, repeat’ ‘Leaders allow different personalities to come through’ ‘It’s a pressure and a privilege’ ‘I’m managing to do things that are beyond my wildest dreams’ ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t want to work hard’ ‘Healthy nutritious biscuits!' ‘I need to give them what they came for’ ’She just can’t believe that you’re all real'    VALUABLE RESOURCES   The Kevin Clifton Show - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-kevin-clifton-show/id1475650764 Alex Scsott Twitter - https://twitter.com/AlexScott The Gold Mine Effect - Rasmus Ankersen - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gold-Mine-Effect-Secrets-Performance/dp/1848317107/   ABOUT THE HOST   Kevin Clifton is a professional dancer who has been performing & competing at the highest level for over a decade. Kevin has worked on shows like 'Burn the floor' & 'Rock of Ages' to 'Strictly Come Dancing' one of the biggest TV shows in the UK which Kevin won in 2018.    CONTACT METHOD Kevin Clifton Instagram Kevin Clifton Facebook Kevin Clifton YouTube