The Olympics have come and gone. During this once-every-four-years event, I watch sports that I know nothing about and see athletes whom, for the most part, I have never heard of before. But for those two event-filled weeks, I am hooked on the Olympics!
Now that the games are over, I’ve left wondering: What is it that draws us to watch the Olympics? I think most people are like I am: We don’t fully understand most of the events we watch—I mean, really … rhythmic gymnastics?—but we watch with rapt attention anyway.
I recently asked a group of my clients, during “coach’s time” at their sales meeting, why they thought the Olympics were so fascinating. Here are some of their answers:
- We get to watch the best in the world.
- NBC’s marketing of the event is interesting.
- Patriotism.
- Like to see the reward of an athlete’s hard work.
- The teamwork is inspiring
- We enjoy the stories of the athletes’ journeys in life and in their sports.
We then talked about what it takes to be a gold medalist. What separates world-record-breaking, gold-medal-winning Usain Bolt from the rest of the field? Here were some of these answers:
- Talent
- Focus
- Dedication
- Performing under pressure
- Mindset
I added three more answers, since I had the benefit of several nights to reflect on the topic.
I added environment, coaching and attitude.
Zara Phillips, the cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry, earned a silver medal in the equestrian cross-country event. This is a woman who had access to some of the finest horses and training in the world. Environment played a huge part in her success. And then there is Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps’s coach since he was 11 years old. Bob became more than a coach to Michael over the years. Michael’s mother, Debbie, said it best, “Michael knows Bob’s going to get him where he needs to be not only in the pool, but life.”
This brings me to the final ingredient: attitude. I think all the athletes I’ve watched over the past few weeks have the will to win. They have talent—that’s what got them in the game in the first place. And they all have coaching of some type. They also have the right attitude.
Attitude, in my opinion, makes all the difference. It’s dedication to be #1. It’s the discipline of working at your craft until you get to peak performance and then calibrating yourself until you figure out how to do what you do better.
Corsini’s Point:
The Olympics—those magical two weeks when the best athletes in the world engage in fierce competition—are a huge draw. It’s inspiring even to non athletes since much of what drives the gold-medal-winners can apply to regular life. Most of the athletes we saw have worked at their craft for years and have given up so much for the opportunity to compete. They all have talent and the desire to win. I believe a true winning attitude is what separates gold-medal winners from the also-rans.
QUOTE
“If you don’t have confidence, you’ll always find a way not to win.”
— Carl Lewis, 10-time Olympic medalist in track and field