3 Olympic Attitudes That Will Give You Success Today

This article originally appeared on carenmerrick.com - helping high achievers amplify their leadership to become board ready and board worthy. Get your free copy of 11 Strategies To Prepare Yourself For Board Membership.

Have you been tuning into the Olympics this past week? Whether watching the summer or winter Olympics, I am always awed by the dedication, skill and camaraderie of the inspiring athletes that compete in the games -- and I think much of what we observe from elite athletes and coaches in the Olympics can inspire us to better performance our everyday lives, as well as our careers.

One Olympics coach that personally resonates with me is the 2016 USA men’s basketball coach, Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski). As a quick recap, the USA just narrowly won its game against another exceptional team, Australia Wednesday with a 98-88 victory! Given my husband is from Australia, we were cheering for both teams.

Since 1980, Coach K has served as the head men's basketball coach at Duke University, leading the Blue Devils to five NCAA Championships, 12 Final Fours, 12 ACC regular season titles, and 13 ACC Tournament championships. In addition to the 2016 Olympics, Coach K led the USA men’s basketball team to two gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Olympics.

Bottom line: When it comes to leadership, success and teamwork, Coach K knows what it takes to be a champion.

Last Summer, one of our teenage sons attended the 5-day Duke University basketball camp under the tutelage of the legendary Coach K, and I had the privilege to sit in on one of his talks with the young boys. As I listened, I was inspired by the simplicity and power of his words.

In his 40 years as a coach,he has led some of the most talented, celebrated athletes in history (LeBron James and Stephen Curry, to name just two). Here is what he said he expects of his team:

1. Energy. Every day, in every activity. It’s an attitude that says “I’m all in; I’m holding nothing back.” Give it your all, and push yourself to do your best.
2. Enthusiasm. Be positive, with intentional actions and reactions. I’ve found that enthusiasm sparks or sustains its own momentum.
3. Emotion. He gave an example from their last championship series (2015, they won!): the emotion that a Duke player showed after a setback on Duke’s team. It changed the tone of the game, and had a power to it that led him and his teammates to do better, not worse. The reaction modeled that they were not going to be rolled over, not going to give in to the setback, but get back up, assess the situation, learn and do better next time.

He also said that there is one critical thing every champion has learned to master: they listen. They listen to the coach, to their parents, and to those who have authority in relationships with them. He said, “Listen to your parents and your coaches. They want the same things you do: what is best for you.”

Get more inspiration from Duke’s “One Shining Moment” video montage.

Coach K’s talk reminded me of how much we influence ourselves by the choices we make and what we do – especially with the three Es.

Recently, one of those Es – emotion – got me thinking. Sometimes in our work culture, we mask emotion or try to downplay it. Coach K reminded me that we are not meant to hide our emotions. It is a part of our humanity to express them, and when we do so appropriately, it actually builds trust.

The leaders I love to recruit and work alongside possess these attitudes. These are strengths that are appealing and engaging when they are channeled wisely.

If these simple things are the foundation of a championship team, they can work for you and your team, too. 

I’m a serial entrepreneur (startups in tech and social impact) most notably co-founder and EVP of webMethods, Inc. which I grew from my basement to a $200m global, Nasdaq company with 1,100 team members. I now serve on several public company boards, write, speak, and advise high performance leaders, particularly those who want to serve on public company boards. I’m married with two sons and our family loves to sail on our catamaran, Glad In It.

For tips on how to develop a strategic plan to join a board, visit CarenMerrick.com and get your free copy of 11 Strategies To Prepare Yourself For Board Membership.