OLYMPICS LEADERSHIP SERIES – Featuring Claudia Vaccarone

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 Claudia Vaccarone, an excellent choice to participate in my #OlympicsLeadershipSeries, as you will learn from her bio. Claudia grew up in Italy, studied and worked in the United States, Italy, France, and Switzerland, and as a result, is passionate about multilingualism as a lifestyle and an inclusion lever. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, she is a trilingual inclusion strategy, gender equality, and diversity executive with over 20 years of international experience in the technology, broadcasting, streaming, and media industries. She advises leaders and teams how to embed inclusion and diversity into their corporate strategies with change and impact in sight, from training on inclusive language to diversifying talent to helping executives lead inclusively. Previous employers include Netflix's EMEA Inclusion Strategy team, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and Eutelsat.

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?

CLAUDIA VACCARONE: It was the summer of 1980, the Olympic Games in Moscow: Italian high jumper Sara Simeoni won the Gold Medal affirming her previously set world record. I was 10 years old and was mesmerized by the monumental achievement of a sportswoman, and the emotional intensity of this moment: the excitement after nailing her jump, the tears while she realized she had won. At the time, there were not many women sports on TV, so this felt really epic! I was already quite athletic, but from that moment on, I felt incredibly driven and eventually enjoyed an international professional volleyball career. It also, retrospectively, confirmed the important role of television and media in terms of representation and creating aspiration in young audiences; as Academy Award-winning actor Geena Davis said, "If she can see it, she can be it." It also became my professional mission, ensuring equal representation of women in the media.

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

CLAUDIA VACCARONE: The Olympic Committee sparked outrage in the summer of 2021 at the Tokyo Games after banning swim caps designed specifically for natural hair. The International Swimming Federation rejected an application to certify products from the Black-owned brand Soul Cap, which created inclusive swim caps for people with dreadlocks, afros, and other natural hairstyles. It claimed that the caps did not fit "the natural form of the head" and were unnecessary. This was a dreadful mistake, failing to acknowledge the diversity of athletes in swimming, their right to comfort, and the importance of representation of all body/hair types, especially for young audiences worldwide! The ban was eventually lifted, and the caps are allowed today. 

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

CLAUDIA VACCARONE: I am biased by my own experience, but volleyball clearly stands out as a team sport where every team member needs to develop uncanny leadership and team skills at the same time. Unlike football or basketball, the time that each team member gets to hold the ball is limited and meant to either defend, pass, or attack. Winning is the fruit of perfect collaboration, communication, anticipation of the opponent's weakness, and collective synchronized and brilliant execution. A team captain is named, but every member of the team is deemed to exercise leadership, navigating the different moments of the game and guaranteeing everyone's motivation and maximum effort!

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

CLAUDIA VACCARONE: The Olympics are a reminder that the principles of dedication, teamwork, adaptability, and integrity are just as essential for achieving athletic greatness as for excelling in the competitive arena of business. 

In particular, the Olympics embody the value of sportsmanship and integrity. While winning is undoubtedly a primary objective, it should never come at the expense of fairness, honesty, or respect for opponents. The most memorable athletes are those who display good sportsmanship, whether in victory or defeat.

In business, maintaining ethical conduct, treating others with dignity and respect, and upholding the values of integrity and honesty are crucial for building trust, fostering long-term relationships, and sustaining success. By embracing these lessons, leaders and organizations can build inclusive cultures and reach new heights of performance.

SHARE THIS: The Olympics are a reminder that the principles of dedication, teamwork, adaptability, and integrity are just as essential for achieving athletic greatness as for excelling in the competitive arena of business. ~Claudia Vaccarone #OlympicsLeadershipSeries #DebbieLaskeysBlog

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

CLAUDIA VACCARONE: 72 percent of Olympic athletes are between 20 and 30 years of age, and 99 percent are younger than 40 years of age. The Olympic Games are a global sports event centered on physical excellence, and therefore, gravitate around youth. But today, many seniors remain active and keep breaking records! Wouldn't it be amazing to have age categories and see midlife athletes compete as well? What fantastic message would it send to audiences about the importance of well-being and staying active throughout one's life?! I am 53-years-old and remain very active: I swim, bike, hike, and do stand up paddle and yoga regularly. I would love to compete in any of those sports, in a category suitable to my age group! 

My gratitude to Claudia for sharing her leadership insights and for being a part of my #OlympicsLeadershipSeries.

Image Credit: Radio France Internationale.

Read more about the exciting life of Italian high jumper Sara Simeoni:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Simeoni

Read about Four Ageless Olympians Eyeing Paris 2024:

https://olympics.com/en/news/four-ageless-olympians-eyeing-paris-2024

Connect with Claudia at this link:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiavaccarone