Landing an inspiring vision with clarity, impact and speed

“Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and keep it lit.”

– Mary Lou Retton, Gymnastics, gold medallist at the Los Angeles Games, 1984

The XXXIII Olympic Games begin this week in Paris. The mere mention of the Olympics ignites a ‘Mary Lou Retton shaped fire’ for me and evokes memories of that wonderful summer of 2012 when Team GB inspired a nation. Since then, of course many sporting events have inspired us , but there was something uniquely special about 2012. It showcased how a group of competitive, high-performing elite athletes, often strangers and sometimes rivals, came together at a defined moment and enjoyed a culture like nothing they’ve experienced before in their respective sports. A story rich with lessons for all of us.

Over the years, I’ve often cited Team GB and the Olympics as examples of what visionary leadership and a shared purpose can achieve in any walk of life…

So, as we sit down over the coming weeks to watch our athletes compete, I urge you all to think about some of the interlinking areas (think the 5 Olympic rings!) we might be able to take lessons from and apply to our own organisations.

Creating the environment for success – It will be fascinating to see the culture Team GB has embraced for 2024. Have they empowered athletes with the autonomy to make their own decisions and take ownership of their training and performance? How have they fostered teamwork despite the inherent competition of the Games? Have they created an environment conducive to collaboration?

Personal Development – Small gains make a massive difference at any level, let alone elite. Athletes will have come to the Games after four years of relentless focus on their personal development. They will have had clearly articulated personalised development plans that align with their Olympic goals. Timing (peaking) is everything. Their objectives will have been regularly reviewed and updated to ensure ongoing challenge and growth. They will have been given space for personal reflection and some will have had mentorship programmes in places as they learnt and took advice from previous heroes. They’ll no doubt be some terrific stories post-Games on how athletes went about their training and development journeys that we can all learn from.

Resilience and Adaptability – The journey to Olympic success will always be fraught with inevitable challenges and setbacks. Who will be this year’s story of remarkable resilience and overcoming adversity?

 Imparting Knowledge – Knowledge, and access to that knowledge quickly, is key in all walks of life, but especially in sport. Coaches will have imparted knowledge to athletes about every strength and weakness of their likely opponents. It’s fair to say no stone will have been left unturned to try and give athletes every possible advantage as they seek to win a medal. Coaches will have done everything they can to ensure athletes have the right information when they need it and have done all the prep necessary to execute flawlessly.

Recognition – During all their preparation for Paris, coaches will have placed a big importance of celebrating and recognising competition wins and milestones. And that kudos will have inspired athletes to push even harder in their training. At Huler, we believe ongoing recognition is so important. So much so, that throughout the Olympics (and Paralympics) we will be giving our own kudos to athletes by celebrating rare achievements through our social media feeds. That significance could be a world record, a gold medal or an act that is simply inspiring.

The one message I am clear about before the Games begin, and that I speak to HR leaders about every day, is that if you have an inspiring vision, whether you’re the head of Team GB’s 327 competing athletes or a leader of a FTSE 100 organisation, you need to land that inspiring vision with clarity, impact, and speed.  Talent on its own is not enough and leaders need to create the right environment, support, habits and culture.

That’s what breaks records.