Olympic Inspirations

What an incredible Olympic games it has been for team Canada who brought home a total of 25 medals. Setting records and making history, these Canadian athletes truly made all of Canada proud. In particular, the women’s hockey team as they provided one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments with their exhilarating comeback to beat the Americans for the gold. However, it wasn’t all about the medals, there were many other memorable moments including Canadian cross-country ski coach, Justin Wadsorth who ran out to Russian skier Anton Gafarov to replace his broken ski so he can finish the race. All these great moments are what make the Olympics so special and electrifying to watch. More importantly, these athletes are great role models that many people and organizations can learn from.

Here are the top 3 valuable lessons learned from Olympic athletes that you should implement in your organization.

1. Team Work Produces Results

Very evident throughout the Olympics is the importance and power of teamwork. Working as a team is necessary in achieving success in sports as much as it is in any organization. When people in an organization work together cohesively better results are achieved. Amazing teamwork was demonstrated through the Canadian women’s hockey team as they dug deep and persevered to come back from a two-goal deficit to win the gold medal hockey game. Canadian speed skater Gilmore Junio was the ultimate team player when he voluntarily gave up his spot in the 1,000-meter final to teammate Denny Morrison who he believed would have a better chance of winning a medal. Ensure your organization is set up for success by making sure you cultivate a teamwork mentality where all employees are supportive of each other and focused on the organization’s goals and objectives.

2. Celebrate Success and Failures

A very important lesson learned from the Olympics is to celebrate your failures as well as your successes. Like many athletes, organizations also experience ups and downs. Doesn’t matter what business you are in, failure is unavoidable. For your business to flourish and grow you have to learn how to deal with failures and learn from them. It is important to not dwell on your past mistakes but focus on what you can do differently the next time to achieve more favorable results. It’s essential to be resilient like athletes who are great at recovering and rebounding from a bad game/performance. Figure skaters, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir followed up their disappointing performances in the Olympic Team Skating event with exceptional performances a week later in the Individual Ice Dance competition.

3. Practice Makes “Perfect”

Olympic athletes are very dedicated and committed individuals who work relentlessly on improving and perfecting their skills. This same mentality can be applied in the workplace by focusing on professional development. As much as athletes work on their craft, leaders and employees of your organization should also work on expanding and developing their skills. Implementing a professional development program in your organization creates a strong foundation for your organization to successfully meet and exceed its goals and objectives.