Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Marcia Dority, Program Leader and Leadership Coach at MOR Associates. Marcia may be reached at [email protected] or via LinkedIn.
“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self discipline, and effort.” — Jesse Owens, American track and field athlete, and four-time gold medalist in 1936.
I have been a fan of the Olympics since I was a kid. I recall watching Flo-Jo (Florence Griffith Joyner) set world record records in the 100M and 200M races in the 1980s Olympics. There was the “Dream Team’,’ the US Men’s basketball team of 1992, and the 1996 US Women’s soccer team that won the gold medal the year women’s soccer was added to the Olympics. The personas of athletes, hype, and the four-year cycle of seeing so many sports on the world stage was remarkable.
I am watching this year’s Paris Olympics for both athleticism and with a leadership development lens. There will be great performances, new World and Olympic records set, and the drama that is part of the performance on the world’s sporting stage. For athletes competing at the Olympic level, the Desired Future State is a gold medal. Many people do not see the many years of work, sweat, tears, and resilience necessary to achieve that podium finish. I want to share two things I am looking for and curious to learn more about at this year’s Olympics: coaching and team dynamics.
A core component of the MOR Leadership programs is the Individual development track. This is the one of the four tracks that focuses on the individual and personalizes the experience with a tailored development plan, aimed at participant’s context, and supported by individual leadership coaching. The opportunity to have an executive coach is a game-changer for many people. Yet coaching is more than a one-on-one experience as our workshops demonstrate how to coach and provide coaching opportunities with one’s peers.
The stories we read about athletes and their coaches are legendary. To help someone achieve their dream, reach the upper limits of their ability, and be in one’s corner is an achievement for both the coach and the athlete. We can learn much from these experiences. Good coaches foster a growth mindset and a healthy culture that seeks improvement with good practices, clear communication, and a development plan. Creating an organizational culture that values coaching enables each person to perform at their best, improves retention, and achieves new levels of innovation and creativity.
“The things you learn from sports – setting goals, being part of a team, confidence – that’s invaluable. It’s not about trophies and ribbons. It’s about being on time for practice, accepting challenges and being fearful of the elements.” – Summer Sanders, American swimmer and four-time Olympic medalist in 1992.
While each athlete competes individually, they are each part of a team. Some sports, like gymnastics, may focus on individual events, whereas others, like soccer, build a powerhouse team to dominate the field. At the Olympics, each athlete competes for their home country and is part of a larger team. The MOR leadership programs focus on team dynamics and team processes, as healthy teams are high-performing teams. A good coach or leader can see the big picture and the desired future state. It’s not enough to bring great athletes together. It’s about creating an environment that supports each athlete so that they perform at a level greater than they realize.
Consider the successful teams we root for at the Olympics. What is their formula? It’s a coach that fosters an inclusive environment that allows for risk, the opportunity to get outside of one’s comfort zone, and enthusiastic support to reach the team’s goal. It includes team norms such as respect, clear expectations, feedback, communication, empathy, and discipline. No athlete reaches the Olympics alone. It is a team effort! We see this same success formula in our teams. It is not just a group of individuals but a team of people invested in the success of their organization’s services and institution’s mission.
“I don’t think you’re human if you don’t get nervous.” —Sidney Crosby, Canadian hockey player and gold medalist in 2014 and 2010.
I look forward to the many impressive performances at this year’s Paris Olympics. While it’s fun to cheer for our favorite athletes and teams, we can learn from their success. It takes a team to reach the podium, and the best coaches create an environment that pushes athletes to perform at their best. It’s also a great reminder that we are all humans on a big stage; be kind, be someone’s cheerleader, and be the leader you want to see in your community.
What are you watching the Olympics for?
Last week, we asked which you feel is the most compelling benefit of being fully engaged.
- 25% said Humor and Humanity
- 22% said Organizational Success
- 20% said Organizational Positivity
- 19% said Professional Growth
- 14% said Amplifying the Professional Network
Humor and humanity. Finding joy and balancing work and life were the top benefits we saw from last week’s discussion of being fully engaged. This highlights an important dimension of being fully engaged: it does not mean being fully engaged solely in the work, but in understanding ourselves and where we find joy in the work, as well as in balancing those elements of life that also matter to us outside of work.
Further Reading about Leadership and Coaching:
The Secrets of Olympic-Level Coaching in the Workplace, Forbes
What Managers Can Learn From a Former Olympic Coach, Fast Company Inspiration from Olympians, NSLS