Catching the Olympic Spirit

The Passion & Drive

Every four years the Olympics mesmerize me. Well, really ever 2 years since I also watch the Winter Olympic Games. I am drawn in by the stories of determination, passion, drive and sheer talent. There is no lack of amazing stories this year at the Rio games. There are hundreds of athletes that have pushed themselves beyond their own limits to reach new heights. They have had to dig deep, overcome physical pain and mental roadblocks to achieve their dreams of winning a medal. I am often brought to tears as I watch the athletes’ pure joy when they break a new record or win a medal. I also feel the sadness when someone’s Olympic dream is cut short, often by only 1/100 of a second. How can we be inspired by the Olympians to push ourselves further? How can we demonstrate greater resilience? How can we demonstrate the Olympic spirit in our lives? These are the questions I’m considering this week, with some amazing inspirational videos to encourage us all to push harder, to go beyond our limits and demonstrating great sportsmanship along the way.

Being Inspired

Sometimes we get to meet our heroes and sometimes we are inspired from afar, but either way, other people’s determination, achievements and success can propel us to push harder and strive to meet and exceed their performance. I love this story about the young man who beat Michael Phelps because he tapped into the inspiration and used it to push him forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQRTz_FzrlQ

Let’s find more ways to highlight the successes of those in our organizations so that others can be inspired and can tap into their own passion and drive.

Being Resilient

This Ethiopian runner epitomizes resiliency and determination. Watch what she does in order to finish her race.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmbBcRBJXjY

What can leaders do to build greater resiliency in their teams? Let’s provide employees with the encouragement and support to keep going when the going gets tough. By building a culture where working hard and pushing harder is rewarded, employees will also go above and beyond to ‘get the job done’.

The Olympic Spirit

The Olympic spirit is best expressed in the Olympic Creed: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

This story is one of the best examples of demonstrating the Olympic spirit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6qAPPdRb_U

We can all find more ways to lend a helping hand to our team members, our colleagues and even our competitors. Consider what would it look like if our organizations cultivated a culture of never leaving anyone behind and rewarding everyone who has worked hard towards a goal.