Lessons Learned From The 2012 Olympics

The Olympics came to a close over the weekend, but the people at those Games really made an impression. As an entrepreneur, I found myself inspired by each story that was covered, and impressed by athletes who overcame incredible odds. No matter what industry you are in, there are valuable lessons from the Olympics that you can apply to your business.

Performance is Everything

(Image credit: AFP/Getty Images via @daylife)

When Usain Bolt crossed the finish line during his 200-meter final, he made one simple gesture. He didn’t point to the sky. He didn’t raise his hands in the air. Bolt merely held up his finger to his lips, making a gesture of silence to his opposition. He’d reached a new pinnacle in his career, and his first reaction was to silence those who thought he’d never make it. Although Bolt could be seen as cocky and full of himself, his actual performance matched his level of confidence. As a result, he is, instead, seen as a legend.

Just as Bolt excels in sprinting, there are champions in every profession. It’s the difference between a doctor who is friendly but scatterbrained, and one who simply gets the job done incredibly well – and I think most people would choose the latter. Coming into the office this week, I reflected on ways we could break our own records and set consistently higher expectations for our company. Each time we cross a finish line – finishing a project for a client, finishing a report, finishing a long week of work – I want to know that we’re able to silence our competitors on a regular basis.

Anything is Possible

Oscar Pistorius had his legs amputated below the knee when he was less than a year old, but that didn’t stop him from proudly representing the country of South Africa as a sprinter. He didn’t have an easy path, to be sure. He fought his way through obvious physical challenges, but he also faced a ruling that would prevent him from competing in the Games because of his prosthetic legs – a ruling that he fought to overturn.

Oscar is a great example of someone who overcame barriers, rather than letting them prevent him from reaching his goals. A common characteristic in successful leaders is the ability to break down, and work around, obstacles. I sat down the morning after the closing ceremonies and made a list of barriers that are preventing our growth as a company, as well as ways we could overcome them. We may not have the same challenges as Oscar, but we should all work to overcome barriers that are thrown at us in our professional lives so we can become better each day.

 

Play to Your Team Members’ Strengths

The women’s gymnastic team, dubbed the “Fab Five,” stole the spotlight at the Olympics by grabbing gold in the team competition. While Gabby Douglas competed in each of the events, the other team members contributed their expertise to specific apparatuses. Jordyn Wieber competed on the floor, vault, and uneven bars. Aly Raisman and Kyla Ross each performed in two events. McKayla Maroney set the tone by earning the highest score of the competition (16.2) on her vault.

Maroney didn’t perform in any other team event, but her specialty gave the U.S. women the momentum they needed to dominate the competition and take home the gold. I saw Maroney’s vault and was reminded of my own team. It made me think to myself, “Am I building a team that plays to each other’s strengths?” While it helps to have people like Gabby Douglas lending all-around expertise, it is also important to build team members who have the specialized skills needed to get the job done. Well-rounded team members are less vital than well-rounded teams.

Confidence Matters

Image credited to Clive Rose/Getty Images

If you were watching the diving portion of the Olympics, you probably heard the Chinese national anthem quite a bit. Going into the last diving event, China had brought home

gold in six of the seven events. Most people thought their divers would take the gold and silver in the 10-meter men’s platform event. However, confidence is a huge factor when it comes to performance. Tom Daley, Great Britain’s celebrity diver, said the Chinese divers can have confidence issues in the finals – and that is exactly what seemed to plague them here. Rather than watch the Chinese sweep the men’s diving events,

won the first U.S. gold medal in platform diving since 1988. It was easy to see the confidence in Boudia’s face throughout the finals, and he performed admirably.

When asked about his feat, Boudia said, “I only did what I do in practice.” Such a simple comment, but it contained much wisdom. Boudia did everything he could to prepare for that moment, and he was assured in his delivery as a result. I asked myself the question, “Am I doing everything I can to prepare for pivotal moments in my business?” I spent several hours after the closing ceremonies making a list of the different ways I can prepare myself – and my team – to perform.

When your business is facing a game-changing moment, it helps to go into it with the mindset of an Olympian. With the right performance, the heart to break barriers, a diversely talented team, and the confidence to sail above the competition, you’ll be unstoppable. With the Olympics wrapped up until 2016, use these legendary moments as examples to build your business stronger than ever before.