Small Business Leadership and the Olympic Athlete

I confess – I am a big fan of the Winter Olympics. This must be due to my background as a competitive figure skater. My dream was to go to the Olympics (I didn’t even come close to this but I tried …). I spent my summers training in locations where the Olympic rings hung everywhere and they inspired me. They motivated me. They challenged me. And to this day, there is something very special about those rings for me.

So what does this have to do with small business? Everything. To successfully run a small business, you need leadership and courage. Olympic athletes display tremendous amounts of leadership and courage. Leadership is much more than being at the top of the organization chart and making big money (okay, not all of us are making the big bucks yet).

The athletes who compete at the Olympics are there because they love their sport. They choose to train 6-8 hours a day, six days a week in pursuit of their dream, an Olympic medal. The injuries, pain and successes that an elite athlete goes through, well, let’s just say there is a reason why most of us aren’t Olympic athletes.

As leaders, we encounter disappointments, challenges, personnel issues, issues out of our control and of course, our share of victories. In this respect, we are not that different from the Olympic athletes. Yet, the best of the athletes have a joy, a passion, a drive for what they do - even when they don’t perform as well as they could or should.

It is not uncommon to get frustrated and burned out when it comes to running our small business. This is when courage and leadership is needed most. Our employees look up to us, as do our customers, partners and suppliers. Yes, there will be hard days but great leaders find a way to step up.

What does it take – well, find your passion. Remember why you started your business in the first place! Your business should not be a job but rather a calling. Leading your business needs to be something that you look forward to doing every day, even if you know it is going to be a tough day. Parallel this to the athlete lifting weights, racing down mountains, falling, running, making their legs and lungs burn – you get the idea – to be the best they make their bodies (and sometimes minds) hurt! It is the challenge for excellence. It is looking for new outside of the box thinking; creativity, innovation.

When you talk to your team – inspire them, show them your passion for what you are doing and where you are trying to take the company. To put yourself out there - your commitment, your joy and love for what you are doing and want to do – takes courage because it most likely isn’t an easy road to get there but then again most athletes don’t win Olympic medals either.

To this day the Olympic rings are a form of motivation, passion and inspiration for me. What are your "Olympic Rings"?