Debbie Laskey's Blog: OLYMPICS LEADERSHIP SERIES

With the eyes of the world on Paris, France, for the 33rd Olympiad, which events are you looking forward to? Do you know that the surfing competition will take place 9,770 miles away from Paris in Teahupo'o, Tahiti, an island in French Polynesia? In the spirit of previous leadership series here on my blog, I've asked 17 leadership and marketing experts to respond to five questions with the hope that both the questions and answers lead you to think about the Olympics in new and interesting ways.

For today's post, I'd like to introduce Eric Jacobson, based in Kansas City, Missouri. Eric has three decades of experience in successfully leading employees and teams through periods of revenue growth, new product development, and re-engineering. He is an experienced mentor and coach and holds an MBA Degree from Keller Graduate School. His passion is helping individuals to become effective leaders at work, within organizations, and wherever they are called upon to lead and inspire. Eric’s writings about leadership and management appear regularly on his blog, and he's a regular contributor to my leadership series.

Before we begin, here are my two favorite quotes about the Olympics:

"In baseball and in business, there are three types of people. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened." ~Tommy Lasorda (Team USA Baseball Manager in 1984 and Olympic gold medalist)

"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does — that makes you a winner right there." ~Venus Williams (Team USA Tennis, 4-time Olympic gold medalist)

QUESTION: What Olympic MOMENT do you most vividly recall, and why?

ERIC JACOBSON: I most vividly recall the startling and alarming moment when Greg Louganis, springboard, and platform diver, struck his head on the springboard during the preliminary rounds during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. At that moment, I realized that, despite being at the top of one’s game and being fully prepared, the unpredictable can happen.

Remarkably, Louganis completed the preliminaries despite his injury. He then earned the highest single score of the qualifying round for his next dive and repeated the dive during the finals, earning the gold medal by a margin of 25 points.

Then, in the 10 meter finals, he won the gold medal, performing a 3.4 difficulty dive in his last attempt, surpassing silver medalist Xiong Ni. His comeback earned him the title of ABC's Wide World of Sports "Athlete of the Year" for 1988.

QUESTION: What Olympic MOMENT OR EVENT stands out due to EITHER a lack of OR evidence of LEADERSHIP?

ERIC JACOBSON: Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps has impressed me for years. Not only because of his earning 28 Olympic medals (23 of them gold) and his being a five-time Olympian, but also because of his leadership during and after his Olympic pursuits.

His being open about his challenges with mental health and then by creating the Michael Phelps Foundation to assist others with mental health issues demonstrates his leadership. Phelps has helped to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness, by encouraging public discussion and speaking frequently to children and organizations.

I recall reading an article that described Phelps’ leadership moments during the 2016 Olympic Games, his final Olympics. According to the article, "Phelps decided that this would be his last Olympics; therefore, he wanted to enjoy the experience. For the first time, he participated in the opening ceremony (he was even selected by his teammates as the flag bearer), and served as the captain of the Olympic swim team. He brought the team closer by getting to know each teammate on a personal level, sharing his experiences, and in general, helping in any way that he could. He reminded everyone that they had all worked incredibly hard to make the Olympic team and that they should take the time and enjoy the moment. During the competition, you could see everyone enjoying themselves and the experience. The result was one of the best performances by a US Olympic swim team in history. When the team relaxed and just competed, they were able to do their best. By recognizing your gift, working hard, focusing on your craft, and taking the time to enjoy the journey, you too can be a Gold Medalist in the leadership category of the game we simply refer to as life."

QUESTION: What Olympic SPORT demonstrates effective and/or inspirational leadership?

ERIC JACOBSON: Any Olympic team sport has the capacity to demonstrate effective and/or inspirational leadership.

And although the following leadership lessons are from California State student-athletes and not (yet) Olympic competitors, their descriptions of leadership and leadership lessons are compelling. These wise student athletes said it best about both on and off the field leadership lessons they've learned through competing in their sport. Their thoughts included the following:

(1) It has taught me to communicate in the best way to get the most potential out of my teammates' abilities.

(2) My job is to lead my team in the right direction while also looking out for their and the team's best interests. By listening to my teammates and understanding what is going on within the team, I can lead them better.

(3) Athletics has taught me to always aim to better myself, and as a leader, I try to elevate my teammates to the same standard of always improving.

(4) True leaders show up every day to give everything they have to help the team.

QUESTION: What is an important BUSINESS LESSON we can learn from the Olympics?

ERIC JACOBSON: There are lots of business lessons that we can learn from the Olympics. I believe businesses can benefit from practicing many of the five official Olympic values and educational themes of Olympism, such as:

(1) Fair Play

(2) Respect For Others

(3) Pursuit Of Excellence

(4) Balance Between Body, Will And Mind

Also, as with Olympians, businesses need to be resilient, agile, adaptable and passionate about what they do.

Similarly, to be a part of a successful team (in sports or in business), you must learn to work with others, to communicate appropriately and to be able to understand people's strengths and weaknesses and how to put them in positions to be successful for the betterment of the team.

QUESTION: If YOU competed in the Olympics, which sport would you choose, and why?

ERIC JACOBSON: I would choose to compete in the Summer Olympics Marathon road running event, because my passion is running. In addition, it is the sport in which I have achieved the best results versus any other sport I have participated in.

Debbie Laskey's Blog

Friday, July 26, 2024

OLYMPICS LEADERSHIP SERIES – Featuring Eric Jacobson

SHARE THIS: As with Olympians, businesses need to be resilient, agile, adaptable and passionate about what they do. ~@EricJacobsonKC #OlympicsLeadershipSeries #DebbieLaskeysBlog

SHARE THIS: To be a part of a successful team, you must learn to work with others, to communicate appropriately, and how to put people in positions to be successful for the betterment of the team. ~@EricJacobsonKC #OlympicsLeadershipSeries #DebbieLaskeysBlog

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