Five lessons from the Paris Olympics
Every four years the Olympic Games burst into our lives, as they have this summer, leading even those with a self-professed lack of interest in sport to suddenly become experts in the ‘full twisting double pike’. When we hear the stories around some of the athletes, we can understand the words of Mel Marshall, coach to multiple gold-medallist and World Record Holder Adam Peaty: ‘I always describe sport as the university of life…Because you have everything; extreme challenge; success; defeat; times when you make super progress; and other times when things go stale.’
With the Paralympics just around the corner, it seems like a good time to share five lessons from the Olympics that you can take into your own lives and working environments. Spoiler alert - none of these are about ‘winning’ in the traditional sense. But once you’ve read them, it might help you reflect on what winning actually means.
Lesson no. 1. I have the privilege of seeing a little bit of what goes on behind the scenes. And I can tell you that the number of pieces in the jigsaw, even when we are talking about an 'individual' sport, is huge. Don't get carried away by the notion that success at the Olympics is all about the athlete - there are so many more people involved. The athletes get the medals, but they really are a product of so many people, from the coaches and Performance Directors, right through to the funders and the families. There is always a team.
Lesson no. 2. It really is all about the process. Whilst athletes might visualise the moment of success, its their focus on the process that gives them the best chance of achieving this. As we move into the Paralympics, I am reminded of this quote from one of the most-decorated Paralympians of all time, about to compete in her ninth (you read that correctly) Paralympics: 'It's not so much a mantra as a way of life. I choose a process-driven approach that ensures I'm searching for the best version of me.' (Dame Sarah Storey). Get the process right and the outcomes will take care of themselves. Moving away from sport momentarily, this lesson was recently brought to life for me by some knowledge shared about the actress Lisa Kudrow. Kudrow was at a low point in her career after being fired from the pilot of Frasier, a setback that left her questioning her future in acting. The role was supposed to be a significant break for Kudrow, but instead, it became a moment of deep self-doubt. For a while, she struggled to get work. Then, she was offered a small, nameless role as a waitress on Mad About You. It was a minor part with no lines, and her agents advised her to pass on it, considering it beneath her and unlikely to advance her career. Kudrow told her agents that she wasn’t in a position to say no, and accepted the part. By the end of the week, Mad About You producer Danny Jacobson was so impressed with her performance that he offered a recurring role as a quirky waitress named Ursula Buffay. The role would eventually lead to her iconic portrayal of Phoebe Buffay on Friends, as the character of Ursula was carried over into the Friends universe as Phoebe’s twin sister.
Lesson no. 3. 'The moment of victory is too short to live for that and nothing else.' Wise words from Martina Navratilova. Those listening to any of our post-competition interviews from Team GB athletes this summer may have picked up on a subtle yet fundamental shift on how our athletes were viewing their performances, whether it was Adam Peaty instantly being at peace with his Olympic silver, or Jemima Montag's incredible post-race interview (if you haven't seen it, take 1 minute to hear this https://lnkd.in/eWb7Gfqq ). In general, athletes seemed to have much better perspective on their performances and their results, something which will only bode well for their ability to accept the result (whatever it may have been) and move on accordingly. One which stood out for me was Beth Shriever’s interview after her BMX final. Favourite for the gold, she came last in the Final, despite some awesome qualifying rounds. In her post-race interview she was at pains to articulate what a great time she had had at the Games, saying that she was happy, healthy, and had her friends and family around her. Yes, she was gutted at the result. But she wasn’t going to let it ruin her life. Perspective matters.
Lesson no. 4. No matter what 'performance' we are talking about, the human element always shines through. My two favourites this Olympics? (1) Team GB Rower Lola Anderson. Anderson had thrown away her diary entry as a teenager about her Olympic ambitions but her Dad kept it and gave it back to her before she died. She talked about how this had inspired her in her post-race interview after winning Gold. (2) A Dutch rower, consoled on the Paris metro by a member of the public when he shared his story of illness right before his heats. An illness which meant he couldn’t take part at all. After all that hard work to make the team. Always remember athletes are human beings just like us, and it's this 'humanness' that helps us relate to them. #PersonBeforePlayer
Lesson no. 5. The Olympics reminds us of the importance of belonging. Why does Andy Murray absolutely love being part of Team GB? Tennis is an individual sport, where your peers are your rivals and adversaries. How special is it then for Murray, other individual athletes, and even our teams, to come together as part of a whole - Team GB. Belonging is a fundamental part of the human condition, and the Olympics is an opportunity to experience this on a wonderful scale. To be part of something bigger than ourselves.
As we head towards Paris 2024 Paralympics I can't wait to see these lessons reinforced amongst the amazing performances and contests we will get to see.
And as we do so, how many of these lessons will you apply to your own environments?
For more on this or any aspect of leadership and performance, with a healthy dose of mindset, sport, and I hope usefulness thrown in, do feel free to browse through all the articles in the Huddle, or get in touch with me directly on catherine@sportandbeyond.co.uk. For more detail on the area this blog covers, as well as many others, please do order a copy of my book - Staying the Distance: The Lessons From Sport That Business Leaders Have Been Missing. Links to buy the book can be found here I have also put together a collection of the podcasts, interviews and sessions on and in which I have recently been sharing my thoughts, stories and insight, which can be found here https://www.sportandbeyond.co.uk/blog/2023/10/30/staying-the-distance-podcasts