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 Russel Lolacher, based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Russel is an international speaker and founder and host of Relationships at Work, the leadership guide to creating a workplace we love, a show digging into timely and relevant topics with global experts on how to create healthy organizations. He's held successful leadership and communication roles for almost 25 years, retaining one team for almost 12 years. His work in building employee and customer trust has been recognized on international stages, in multiple publications, and as a four-time-named Top Thought Leader by the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI).
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?
RUSSEL LOLACHER: If I had to pick one, I'd go for a bit of nostalgia — to when I was glued to the TV for Donovan Bailey's historic 100m sprint at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Canadians are known for a few things including ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, skiing, etc. I'm sure you notice that we are a winter sports kind of country and not known for making much of an impact during the Summer Olympics, certainly not at the elite level or in events that get a lot of exposure.
But there I was, along with the rest of our country, watching Jamaican-Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey step up to the line, get in his blocks, and explode at the sound of the gun. It was over before you knew it! Bailey ran the 100m in 9.84 seconds to become the fastest man alive to date. It was inspiring. It was a moment for Canadian sports to show what was possible. Canadians weren't just great at what we were expected to be great at. We could show the world another side of ourselves that they hadn't seen — with an exclamation mark!
QUESTION: What Olympic MOMENT OR EVENT stands out due to EITHER a lack of OR evidence of LEADERSHIP?
RUSSEL LOLACHER: What do you do when you are competing with a friend for the highest Olympic honor in your sport and you keep tying each other? Well, if you're Mutaz Barshim of Qatar, you ask to share it. After two-and-a-half hours of competition between Barshim and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi for gold, they posed a simple question and were granted it.
From a leadership perspective, it was remarkable in two ways. First, the fact that these two long-time competitors embraced inclusive success. There can be more than one winner, and it models behavior that others can and should follow. These men were better at their sport because they pushed each other but also recognized that both deserved the highest recognition. Second, the Olympic organization for the 2021 Tokyo Games allowed it. The typical response to a tie is a "jump-off" until one wins gold, the other silver. But when Barshim asked to share, the official responded, "It's possible."
Rather than forcing a competition that neither athlete wanted, the Olympics embraced sportsmanship, which is what the event is supposed to be about.
QUESTION: What Olympic SPORT demonstrates effective and/or inspirational leadership?
RUSSEL LOLACHER: As a Canadian, is anyone surprised that I'm going with ice hockey? Over the years, the women's and men's hockey teams have been phenomenal to watch, and that only comes with a strong base of inspiring leadership, both on and off the ice. To play at that level, you have to understand team unity, communication, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and engagement, to name just a few leadership essentials. And that's not even considering the egos of some of these elite players or the historical baggage that comes from nations with long-held rivalries. Inspiration can also come in many forms. Yes, of course, it's about representing your country and exemplifying pride in those you play for. But there's also that competitive side to things that can still show up in a "sportsmanship" focused event.
Take Team Canada's Hayley Wickenheiser's retort at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, after it was rumored that Team USA had the Canadian flag on the floor of their dressing room. After the Canadians defeated the Americans 3-2 in the Gold Medal Game, Hayley asked if the U.S. "wanted us to sign it." Inspiring for the team, inspiring for the country. Especially coming from a country not necessarily known for its swagger.
QUESTION: What is an important BUSINESS LESSON we can learn from the Olympics?
RUSSEL LOLACHER: It's a journey with many milestones and setbacks along the way. When we watch the Olympics, very few of us understand the work that got the athletes there and what will happen after. This is a moment in time. Of course, it's a goal that is focused on by the athletes and the coaches, but they've also gone to a series of other qualifying events to reach this level. It's like the idea of the overnight successes that took 15 years to achieve. There needs to be so many successes and failures before many people even notice.
In business, it's no different. We are continually playing the long game in regard to building and fostering relationships, leveling up our skills, learning from our failures, crafting resiliency, establishing the right mindset, and more. Both Olympic and business journeys start with visions and missions, and both are long journeys to those hopeful realities, only possible based on the quality of their leadership.
SHARE THIS: Both Olympic and business journeys start with visions and missions. ~@russlol #OlympicsLeadershipSeries #DebbieLaskeysBlog
QUESTION: If YOU competed in the Olympics, which sport would you choose, and why?
RUSSEL LOLACHER: I'd love to tell you I could stand in front of millions of people as this amazing athlete, focused on the task at hand with only myself to compete against. But I'm not that guy. I know myself. I need that accountability. I need that camaraderie. I need that collaboration that only comes from team sports.
So, if I competed in the Olympics, it would have to be in soccer (football everywhere else). Maybe I've watched too much Ted Lasso, but I love the idea of working together as a unit to achieve something extraordinary. And as a communications and leadership nerd, I'd love to experience what those abilities look like at an elite level and how they handle challenges.
For example, on my podcast, I talk a lot about my seven deadly sins of leadership (e.g., neglect, apathy, etc.). These are negative aspects of guidance that allow horrible leadership to exist and fester. At the Olympic level, these failures, these inefficiencies, these "sins" would hardly be tolerated - let alone be allowed to exist. It inspires me and fuels my curiosity about what it would be like to be part of an ecosystem that requires elite levels of trust, psychological safety, empowerment, teamwork, courage, honesty, and all the elements that contribute to a healthy work culture.
SHARE THIS: I love the idea of working together as a unit to achieve something extraordinary. ~@russlol #OlympicsLeadershipSeries #DebbieLaskeysBlog
My gratitude to Russel for sharing his leadership insights and for being a part of my #OlympicsLeadershipSeries.
Image Credit: Luca Dugaro via Unsplash.
Read more about Donovan Bailey:
https://olympics.com/en/athletes/donovan-bailey
Read more about Mutaz Essa Barshim's And Gianmarco Tamberi's shared Gold Medal:
Read more about the Canada vs. USA Women's Hockey competition:
Read about some leadership lessons from fictional TV character Ted Lasso:
https://daniels.du.edu/blog/6-leadership-lessons-from-ted-lasso/
and
https://magazine.foster.uw.edu/features/lasso-on-leadership/
Connect with Russel at these links:
Podcast: https://relationshipsatwork.buzzsprout.com/share
Website: https://www.russellolacher.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/relationships-at-work-show
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relationshipsatwork
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relationshipsatwork
Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/russlol
Check out Russel's previous appearances here on my blog:
FALL BACK TO READING SERIES – Featuring Russel Lolacher (December 2023)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2023/12/fall-back-to-reading-series-featuring_01020658736.html
Tips to Improve Your Brand's Employee Experience (September 2021)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2021/09/tips-to-improve-your-brands-employee.html
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