The 2012 Olympics provided a teachable moment for leaders everywhere. Watching young athletes bring their talent and excellence to the forefront, people around the globe watched with fascination as they captured top honors.
Whether or not it was gold, silver, or bronze medals or just the opportunity to be among the top athletes in the world, the participants took the opportunity to establish themselves as the leading athletes. With that said, it is reasonable to expect that aspiring future Olympians and leaders everywhere have reason to be inspired by the teachable moments.
First, the world’s leading athletes have set the benchmark for reinforcing the art of persistence. Every athlete knows that you cannot quit in the face of uncertainty or failure. Becoming the best requires diligence and courage to keep on striving for top honors despite setbacks. It means staying with the hurdles and challenging parts of becoming excellent. Look at the result from the U.S. women’s gymnastics team that was victorious claiming gold medals. It was not all glory but a lot of work and tenacity along the way.
Secondly, Olympics athletes show that being top requires playing fair. Reports blasted on recent news stories about some athletes not playing by the stated rules, potentially inflating their experience, or showing unsportsmanlike conduct. What a shame!
Youth, aspiring leaders, and the world can learn is that there is greater honor in doing the right thing than being dishonest or rude.
Dawn McCoy
Author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success
