Lessons from Torino
Author's Note: In January 2005, I wrote an In
The Spotlight piece about The US Olympic Sailing Program, and my perspective
as Olympic Sailing Chairman. This piece updates some similar issues mentioned in
the previous piece. If you are interested in reading the original piece, please visit
www.TheLatimerGroup.com and visit the In the Spotlight library.
The Winter Olympics recently concluded in Torino, Italy, and many U.S. athletes
put forward strong performances. That is the part of the Olympic story I care most
about – the stories of the athletes, their personal sacrifices and the celebration
of their success.
But, regrettably, the story lines I will remember most from Torino were not positive.
What will remain etched in my mind are the themes of athletes sniping at teammates
through the media, athletes fighting their national governing bodies prior to and
during the Games about funding and sponsorship and a media horde seemingly obsessed
with the failure of certain star athletes. The common denominator of these themes
was a seemingly poor team dynamic, at least to the outside observer. I did not always
sense that athletes or administrators were aligned and pursuing the same goals – not
easy to decipher on television, for sure, but it certainly made me think.
As I think about Torino, it causes me to step back and take a look at the US Olympic
Sailing Program as we prepare for the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, China. Our program
is enjoying a rapid ascent back to the top of the world of Olympic Sailing – a
perch the U.S. unquestionably owned for nearly 70 years, until the 1996 Games in
Atlanta. (For more on the progress of the program please read Reason and
Emotion in this issue of The Beacon.)
In order to win Olympic medals, we need to do many things well, including avoiding
the pitfalls that detracted from the just-concluded Winter Games. When I contrast
my memories of Torino with what we are witnessing in the US Olympic Sailing Program,
several lessons stand out:
1. Communicate effectively with your audiences. Use
a clear and simple message that anticipates their likely questions and objections.
In the case of our Olympic Program, we set ambitious but reasonable goals, made our
finances transparent, cut out all waste from the budget and redirected the vast bulk
of our resources to the athletes.
2. Build a leadership team that is aligned, and where
everyone has clear roles and responsibilities. Give talented
people clear tasks, let them know how those tasks fit into the big picture, and
then get out of their way. Don't micromanage talented people.
3. Bring your “employees” into the inner circle. In
our case, that means the athletes. Give them a loud voice on the issues that affect
them. If you want to build alignment, people's concerns and ideas need to be heard.
The most motivating and empowering words you can use with a colleague or employee
are these: “What do you think?”
4. Share credit broadly with those who deserve it most. If
you want to lead and motivate, the last thing you should do is horde the spotlight.
Share it, and then everyone is motivated.
The US Olympic Sailing is building a program of strength. We are in the midst of
a remarkable turnaround and it is a strong example of regeneration, the lessons from
which apply to any organization. Leadership, motivation and persuasion are needed
in every organization, and the formula for success is the same whether we are examining
an international conglomerate, a family-owned business or a sport's national governing
body preparing for the Olympic Games.
 Beacon Issue -
March 2006
|
