I was lucky to attend my first Olympic games in Paris last week. The opportunity to be at the most celebrated sporting event in the world in the most visited city – within driving distance – was too good to miss.
Before our one afternoon at the stadium, my family and I had the opportunity to spend time with John Quinn, an Australian Olympic coach who has worked with elite athletes across sports as diverse as track and field, swimming, AFL, rugby league, tennis, cricket, and soccer. With sporting legends like Cathy Freeman and Usain Bolt profiled on his website you know John’s worked with the best of the best.
“The Olympics is the greatest show on earth,” he said. “It’s Disneyland for sporting fans. The place where dreams become a reality.”
He is right. The games come to every city with an aura of magic that has stood the test of time. The first Olympics were held in Olympia, Greece in 776 BC and later revived in Athens in 1896. Since then they have brought the world together every four years.
We felt the magic of the games as soon as we walked into Stade de France. There’s something about the grand scale of 80,000 people coming together to cheer their sporting heroes with 200 flags representing every nation flapping above them. The athletes themselves seem superhuman, their bodies entirely conditioned for a single moment. 4 years of training for 9 seconds, Usain Bolt once said.
Every person will take something away from the Olympics. It’s impossible to leave the same person as you came. I was curious about the leadership lessons I could take back for our Markd Global team and audience. Here they are:
- The Olympic spirit unites people. The contrasting atmosphere within and outside Stade de France was poles apart. The level of security coming into Paris and around the stadium was unprecedented. It is said that 45,000 police flooded the streets supported by soldiers armed with assault rifles. It was a real reflection of the state of our world and its rising tensions and conflicts. Yet the Olympic spirit prevailed inside the stadium – peace, harmony, and safe competition. How can we bring more of this type of spirit into our workplaces?
- We all have something unique to bring to the world. The Olympic games showcase the best of human diversity, physical ability, and prowess. Across hundreds of events, athletes bring their unique flair to a race, game, or performance. They inspire us in sports we never dreamed of because of their personal stories, their passion and their skills. I remember coming across the men’s table tennis final between China and Sweden and being completely engaged in a sport I had once considered a recreational game. What idea do you carry that with passion and prowess could engage a new audience?
- Your biggest race has an audience of one. Every Olympian goes to the games to win gold. It’s a glorious moment for every athlete to strive for but most will never reach it. The biggest battle and the one we can control the most is competing against the best version of ourselves. Whether you win gold or miss out by a torso finish in the 100m men’s final, the reassurance that you’ve prepared and come up against the best version of yourself has to be real gold.
- It starts with physical well-being. John Quinn’s personal story is not the one you’d expect from an Olympic coach. At the peak of his career, he was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease with a dire prognosis. He battled with his health to now live a drug-independent life. He believes it is impossible to be at your best without putting your health first whether you are an elite athlete or a business leader. The challenge is that physical health is often compromised as leaders rise to the top of their organisations. How can staff wellbeing become a corporate strategy?
- Mental health matters. One of the 2024 Olympics success stories is that of gymnast Simone Biles who won 3 golds and 1 silver in Paris. As a testament to her innovation, Simone has achieved feats in gymnastics that others deemed impossible including 5 elements named after her name. This was not the narrative in the Tokyo Olympics when she withdrew from competition to focus on her mental well-being. Taking a mental health break has improved her passion, performance, and influence. To achieve peak performance do we sometimes need mental health breaks? And how can we support each other to achieve them?
- Beyond the Olympics. For 4 years, making it to the Olympics becomes the vision and purpose of every athlete. The physical toll of getting there is often accompanied by an emotional comedown known as post-Olympic blues. This is true whether an athlete has achieved their Olympic dream or not. This shows us that the event, salary, medal, title, position, or role does not define who we are. We are human beings, not human doings. Beyond our pinnacles of success, we must find a purpose closer to who we are than what we achieve.
- The power of purpose. John Quinn is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom with so many stories to share on the work he does with well-known sports people, his advice to young athletes with Olympic ambitions, the importance of spirituality in elite performance, and his work with the Afghan team who compete at the Olympics with life-threatening consequences from the Taliban. His purpose in coaching people to reach their highest potential extends beyond medals and the Olympic games. It’s taking him to new roles and arenas he never imagined possible. Do you see your purpose as bigger than a KPI, role, or title?
- Drink more lemon water. The one last leadership lesson John gave is to put lemons in our water. We know life invariably gives us lemons, the many unexpected curveballs from injuries to job losses that shape us into better athletes and leaders. “Embrace the lemons,” he says. His advice is to slice them up and put them into our water each day. “They contain antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins that help with nutrient absorption and boost overall health and well-being.” One last tip from an Olympic coach in Paris.
Wrapping up
Being at the games confirmed that purpose is the Principal P in the Olympics, business, and life.
There were so many highlights but the one athlete who brought these leadership principles to life is the 400m hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to watch her race live but boy do I wish I had. Legendary athlete Sebastian Coe and World Athletics president praised her as the best in the Olympics for her physical and mental supremacy. ‘It’s difficult for me to look beyond that,” he said.
She ran through those hurdles as if her biggest competitor was not Femke Bol but her own potential. We all watched Sydney run her race to win gold, lower her world record for the sixth time, and receive her crown. In her book Beyond Gold, Sydney shares the lifelong battles that have seen her move from anxiety to boldness, from limits to freedom, and from perfectionism to purpose. She shows us that we must have something to live for beyond the medals and the pinnacles of momentary success, even if it is Olympic gold.
If you found these leadership lessons inspiring and would like to work with us to unlock your purpose and make your mark on the world, reach out at hello@markdglobal.com.
Linkin with John Quinn and learn more about Quinn Elite Sports here.
