For a while now, I’ve been wanting to write about how we do things at Y squared: our vision, what we believe in, how we collaborate – and why we’re not your typical cookie-cutter consulting firm. We’re building a place where people can grow, create meaningful impact together, and most importantly: show up as their authentic selves.

And then came the keynote from Shane McLeod, head coach of the Belgian national hockey team. The man who led the Red Lions to World Championship gold in 2018, and Olympic gold in 2021. What he shared about top-level sports struck a surprising chord with how we work as a team.

A shared mission: purpose as a compass 

One of the core ideas Shane and his team embrace is “leaving the shirt in a better place”. Every World Championship win earns a symbolic star above the Belgian crest on their jerseys. Beautiful and powerful. But more than that, it gives direction. Their purpose is crystal clear: to leave a legacy, generation after generation.

At Y squared, we share a similar drive. You won’t see stars on our shirts, but they’re woven into our mission: building nimble digital organizations – and being one ourselves. A place where people can be their best selves, tap into their full potential, and create real impact as a team. That’s how we aim to leave the world of digital consulting “in a better place” too.

 

Climbing toward the top (avalanches included)  

As a coach, Shane uses visual tools – like asking players to place themselves on a mountain illustration: where do you think we are as a team? How far are we from the summit? What might trigger an avalanche on the way up? It turns out everyone sees the landscape a bit differently. But most importantly, it gets the conversation going.

We do something similar at Y squared. Each week we check in: are we still on track toward our purpose? What’s helping us climb? What’s holding us back – our own “avalanches”? These check-ins keep us aligned, focused, and connected.

Not a team of stars, but a Star Team  

What really stayed with me was how Shane emphasized the importance of being one team. No egos. Not a “team of stars,” but a star team.

That’s exactly how we see it at Y squared. It’s not about hierarchy or ego – it’s about collaboration, trust, and complementarity. We each bring our strengths, but the real magic happens in the collective. 

Openness as a superpower 

Another core element in Shane’s playbook: radical openness and feedback. Questions like “How would you rate yourself out of 10? Why?” or “What do you need to move up a point?” – they spark self-reflection and growth. Sounds familiar? That’s because it mirrors our culture of peer reviews and open feedback. No top-down evaluations, just real reflection: What are your proudest achievements? What are your strengths? Where are you struggling? Where do you want to grow?

Just like Shane, we also call out each other’s super powers and look for ways to double down on them. Whether it’s choosing the right project fit or defining internal roles – it’s all about finding the “energy gainers”. We believe developing your strengths naturally balances out, or even uplifts, your weaknesses.

Self-regulation & resilience 

Every team faces rough patches. Shane spoke about how players react differently to setbacks: Do you withdraw? Or do you lean in and support your team more? In a safe environment, you can recognize those reactions, talk about them, and learn to navigate them more consciously.

That’s vital for us too – creating space to name emotions, regulate them, and come out stronger on the other side.

Roles and radical responsibility 

Every high-performing team needs clearly defined roles. The Red Lions had Captains, Tactical Communicators, and more – each with their own responsibilities. It’s the same in our self-managing organization. We define roles clearly, along with the skills, experience, and knowledge needed to fulfill them.

One exercise Shane shared really resonated: players are asked to make their own line-up. What’s your role? Why are you in the starting team? What do you contribute? How do you strengthen the team? What about the others? At Y squared, we distribute roles through peer nominations – letting the team recognize and define who takes what on.

But self-management isn’t just about roles—it’s also about radical responsibility. It means everyone owns their actions and their impact, with open and transparent communication around decisions and accountability. Radical responsibility in action.

And finally… 

What did we take away from Shane’s keynote? That elite sports and self-managing organizations have more in common than you’d think.

The parallels are striking. It’s not about winning for the sake of winning – it’s about growing together, striving for a higher standard. It’s about building a culture where people take ownership, lift each other up, and get a little better every day.  

As Shane put it so beautifully:

Sport represents what we want our children to become and all the qualities you want them to have.

And if you ask us… the same goes for organizations.

Curious how we do it at Y squared? Want to spark something meaningful together? Drop us a message – we’ve got the coffee ready.