From the Track to the Office: Olympic Lessons for Business Growth

The Paris 2024 Olympics has been such a memorable affair! ?? As we begin to reach the conclusion of this illustrious event, its a great time to reflect on the deep connections between values, culture, and purpose—principles crucial in both sports and business. Olympic values of excellence, respect, and friendship are foundational elements driving success.

Striving for excellence pushes athletes to their best, just as excellence in business fuels innovation and growth. Standards continue to rise in the world of elite sport, with Simone Biles being a prime example of this in action. Delivering excellence in business could be codifying success, and getting super focussed on making that a reality.?

Respect—encompassing self-respect, respect for others, and respect for the environment—fosters a collaborative and inclusive culture, boosting productivity and morale. Athletes fully respect their time. They spend 90% of their time preparing, to only perform 10% of the time. While this isn’t feasible for business, there is a reminder to stop obsessing with ‘busy’ as productive.?

Friendship highlights unity and camaraderie, essential for cohesive teams working towards common goals. Olympic teams are complex, with some teams having a reserve (e.g. equestrian), desperately waiting their turn, while also supporting the collective. This demonstrates that you can’t just bring together a group of top performers, you have to curate that team culture - much the same as you do in the office.?

The Olympics represent the intersection of sport and culture, uniting people globally through shared values and artistic expression. This celebration of diversity and participation fosters a sense of belonging and community, relevant in both sports and corporate environments.?

The impact of a culture of belonging can’t be ignored, with an increase in job performance by 56%! Research by BetterUp demonstrates that workplace belonging leads to a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% reduction in turnover risk, and a 75% decrease in employee sick days.

Businesses can learn from the Olympic principles to create engaged, motivated, and high-performing teams. What lessons are you taking from the Olympics that you can implement into your business culture? ??