Paddy Upton: True Success Lives In The Process, Not Just The Scoreboard
The renowned cricket mental coach reveals why ethics matter more than results in sports excellence
Vidya did her post-graduation in Biotechnology from Osmania University, Hyderabad. Her interest in writing made her pursue a career in content, in which she now has over five years of experience. Vidya writes for MomJunction and covers news for Cricketsweep.
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In a world obsessed with results, renowned cricket mental coach Paddy Upton has shared a powerful perspective on what constitutes genuine success in sports and life. His recent Instagram post cuts through the glorification of winning at all costs, challenging athletes and leaders to focus on the integrity of their journey rather than just the end result.
The Process Over The Scoreboard
“Most of the world celebrates the result,” Upton begins in his thought-provoking post. “But the best in the world pay close attention to how they got there.”
The post features an image of Upton, who appears to be addressing an audience in what looks like a coaching or speaking engagement, emphasizing his role as a thought leader in sports psychology and performance coaching.
Upton, who has worked with cricket teams at the highest levels, including being the mental conditioning coach for India’s 2011 World Cup-winning team, makes a clear distinction between merely winning and what he calls “healthy success.”
“Winning says nothing about how we showed up, how we trained, how we treated others on the way, or how we held ourselves when no one was watching,” he writes, adding pointedly: “You can win by cheating. Or by sandpapering a cricket ball. Or taking drugs. But that’s not winning. That’s just ‘scoreboard success’.”
Character-driven Success
The reference to “sandpapering a cricket ball” recalls the infamous 2018 Australian cricket ball-tampering scandal, a prime example of winning through unethical means. Upton suggests that such victories are hollow achievements that don’t reflect true success.
Instead, he emphasizes: “Real success lives in the process—when we show up with ethics, character, smart work, and sportsmanship. When we hold ourselves to a standard our children would be proud to hear about.”
This philosophy aligns with Upton’s broader approach to performance coaching, which consistently emphasizes the human dimension of achievement over mechanical results.
A Career Built On Mental Conditioning
Paddy Upton has had a distinguished career in cricket coaching and sports psychology. Beyond his role with India’s World Cup-winning team, he has served as the Performance Director of the South African cricket team and as head coach for various IPL teams including Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils, and Pune Warriors.
He is also the author of “The Barefoot Coach,” a book that explores his coaching philosophy and experiences working with elite athletes.
Consistent Philosophy Across His Teachings
This latest post follows a series of related insights Upton has shared recently on his Instagram account. Just days earlier, he challenged the notion that “losing teaches you more than winning,” suggesting instead that “it’s not the result that determines how much you learn—it’s what you do after the result.”
In another recent post, he wrote about the importance of reflection: “The best teams don’t wait for a loss to learn. They treat winning and losing the same. They pause. They ask, ‘What did we do well?’ and ‘What did we learn?'”
Upton has also addressed the relationship between hard work and smart work, noting that “almost all your success will come from strengths – focus the majority of your hard work on getting even better at what you’re already good at.”
Beyond Sports: Leadership Insights
While much of Upton’s wisdom comes from sports, his insights apply equally to business leadership. In a post about the transition “from doing to delegating,” he discusses how founders must evolve from doers to leaders as their companies scale.
“High performance isn’t a tagline,” he writes. “It’s a living system—built around A-players, constant improvement, and a safe and empowering culture. One that attracts the best talent, keeps them the longest, and gets the best out of the rest.”
The Barefoot Coach’s Conclusion
Upton concludes his post on ethical success with a powerful summation: “If we get the process right and also win—that’s healthy success, worthy of being celebrated.”
This perspective offers a refreshing counterpoint to the win-at-all-costs mentality that often dominates professional sports and business. By focusing on the integrity of the process rather than just the outcome, Upton suggests that we create not only better results but also a more sustainable and fulfilling path to achievement.
In a sports world frequently rocked by scandals involving performance-enhancing drugs, match-fixing, and other ethical breaches, Upton’s message serves as a timely reminder that how we win matters just as much as winning itself.
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