Go for leadership gold with these athlete-inspired insights
Seven powerful leadership takeaways from some of the world’s top competitors
The 2024 Olympics kick off in Paris this week, and I can’t wait to watch the world’s best go for gold.
By now you know I look for leadership lessons everywhere, and the Olympics are no different!
When you witness the hard work and mental toughness of these competitors, it’s plain to see: sports is a powerful teacher.
Great athletes understand teamwork, discipline, self-awareness, and communication. They know how to handle pressure, bounce back from failure, and deal with the competition.
Those are the same skills great leaders need to excel! So let’s look at some of my favorite leadership insights from the athletes I’ve been fortunate enough to talk to on How Leaders Lead.
You don’t have to be a sports fan to find lots of takeaways here—but if you are, you are REALLY going to love this. Let’s go!
➡️ Failure is 100% information
Scott Hamilton
There’s no better athlete to kick off this list of insights than Scott Hamilton, who won Olympic gold in men’s figure skating.
In his sport, failure looks like falling down—a lot. But his advice is to reframe your failures. It doesn’t have to be something that haunts or scars you. Instead, see it as information that can help you improve.
Failure can be one of our best teachers, but only if we have the courage to learn from it.
And so often, the pain or shame we feel as a result of the failure keeps us from seeing those lessons. But when you remind yourself that failure is 100% information, it can help you move forward toward success.
More insights from Scott Hamilton >>
➡️ Don’t mistake activity for achievement
Tom Brady
There’s no doubt about it: athletes have to do the hard work of training and preparation. But as legendary quarterback Tom Brady reminds us, “Just because you’re breaking a sweat doesn’t mean you’re getting anything done.”
Hard work is important, but only when you’re applying all that effort toward the right goals.
It’s all too easy in leadership to let your time get hijacked by tasks that don’t really connect to your bigger strategies and priorities.
Ask yourself: are your actions moving you closer to what you really want to accomplish, or are you just breaking a sweat without getting anything done?
More insights from Tom Brady >>
➡️ Deal with pressure by focusing on your teammates
Val Ackerman
As the first-ever Commissioner of the WNBA, Val Ackerman felt the pressure to make this new league a success.
And in those moments, she said, she focused on the responsibility she felt toward her colleagues and teammates. By taking the focus off herself, she also alleviated the pressure she felt.
Athletes and leaders both face pressure-packed moments. When you do, think about doing your part for your team. Consider how to serve and support them. That will help you see past the pressure and simply do your work well.
More insights from Val Ackerman >>
➡️ Focus on process, not just results
Rory McIlroy
Talk to any athlete, and I can promise you they’ve set big goals for themselves. They want to beat the other guy, win championships, and break records.
But goals can only take you so far. As pro golfer Rory McIlroy told me, “You don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.”
Winning the Masters is a big goal of his. But he has to ask himself how he gets there, and then break that goal down into the right processes that will help him reach it.
As you set goals for yourself and your team, make sure you’re also creating the right systems and processes that will move you toward that goal. Work on those, and the results will often take care of themselves.
More insights from Rory McIlroy >>
➡️ Know how to hit the reset button
Andy Roddick
As an elite tennis player, Andy Roddick faced a lot of really high highs—and really low lows.
The same is true in leadership. You’re going to have good days and bad ones. Whatever happens, you need strategies to manage your mindset.
Andy established rituals to help him reset in between shots. For you, it might be a two-minute meditation break, a quick walk, or a simple mantra. But develop those “reset” strategies and know how to use them. That way, when you walk out of a tough meeting or hear bad news, you’ve got a way to regulate yourself.
More insights from Andy Roddick >>
➡️ Don’t just build a team, build relationships
Mark Messier
Six-time Stanley Cup winner Mark Messier knows a thing or two about helping a team be at their best.
And for him, it comes down to the relationships you build with your teammates. When you take time to get to know the people you work with, you create trust and connection.
That’s key to maximizing the performance of a team. You can give corrections and advice without people feeling attacked, because you’ve already demonstrated that you care about them. They know that criticism is coming from a place of care.
I always say, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. So take the time to invest in your team and build that all-important trust.
More insights from Mark Messier >>
➡️ Seize the opportunity when someone is tough on you
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald is widely regarded as one of the greatest NFL wide receivers of all time. But when he first started playing alongside quarterback Kurt Warner, it was a tough adjustment. Larry relied more on athleticism and strength to beat his defenders and make plays, but Kurt demanded precise route running.
Kurt was tough on him. But instead of getting negative or discouraged, Larry seized the opportunity to improve. The precision he developed added an all-new dimension to his game.
In your career, you’re going to meet people who challenge you to work differently than you’re used to. See it as an opportunity to stretch yourself and develop new skills. That positive mindset may just unlock new levels for you, just like it did for Larry.
More insights from Larry Fitzgerald >>
The affinity between athletics and leadership is powerful.
It’s no coincidence that so many of my podcast guests are athletes and former competitors. Even many of the top-level executives I talk to are stand-out athletes, too. (Condoleezza Rice was a competitive figure skater and General Ray Odiernowas drafted for the MLB!)
Even if you don’t have a sporty bone in your body, you can still learn a lot from athletes.
As you tune into the Olympics over the next few weeks, you’ll hear all kinds of powerful stories about the lives of the competitors—the struggles they’ve faced, the habits they’ve developed, and the mindset they have.
As you do, keep your antenna up for insights and lessons you can apply in your life.
So, what do you think? How has sport or competition shaped you as a leader? What big insights have you been able to apply in your life and work? Drop me a note in the comments below so I can learn from you!