I love the Winter Olympics – blue skies, white snow, and amazing displays of skill and bravery. It’s been a bright interlude in our relentlessly grey January and February here in the UK. What I loved most was that the athletes looked like they were really enjoying their sport and having fun with their fellow competitors – they are inspiring role models for how to live our lives.
Watching the athletes at the Games made me think about how to replicate some of their enjoyment, excitement, and achievement at work. We can’t operate at peak performance all the time, but we can lead others in a way that engages and inspires them to apply their talents and enjoy their work.
What are the insights we can get about motivation from sport?
Purpose
Have a purpose that is meaningful to you over the long-term – bigger than the short-term aim of winning a race – and one that meets your core needs for freedom, competence, belonging and fulfilling potential.
• Learn more in The Long Win by Cath Bishop (Olympic medallist).
• Check out Lewis Pugh – the first person to swim in every ocean in the world, in extremely physically and mentally challenging conditions – who talks about “the power of having a purpose”.
Persistence
Focus on the process, not the outcome – the athlete cannot control the outcome of a race – other athletes might perform better than them on the day, but they can control the process of preparing for and running the race to give themselves the best chance of winning.
• As Sarina Wiegman (England’s women’s football team manager) said before the Euros final: “I know we have done everything in our control. It might bring us a win or maybe not, but we know we have done everything within our control to do as well as possible, and that’s OK”.
• Build self-belief with helpful thoughts and remove the interference from unhelpful ones – see Tim Gallwey’s The Inner Game books – his approach helped me change my thoughts and improve my tennis.
Resilience
Look after your energy – physical, mental, emotional – so that you have enough resources to deal with challenges and setbacks.
• Max Whitlock, the most successful British male artistic gymnast, 2016 double Olympic champion and winner of three world titles, talks to Simon Mundie about “determination and resilience” which kept him motivated to work hard despite setbacks.
• Finally, listen to Eileen Gu talking about her experience at the Olympics and about “being brave”. Wow – how inspiring!
Want to feel more motivated yourself, or want to help others feel motivated? Check out Motivation: The Ultimate Guide to Leading Your Team, for a host of practical tools, tips and insights. You’ll find out how to set an inspiring purpose, and sustain your persistence and resilience.
Take a quiz, get a free report and find out more here!