I was watching the end of the men’s 1500 meter swim race. I am not a swimmer. Actually, I am more of a drowner. Watching this was mind boggling for all of us as each of my boys were sharing how they would have drowned by the end of the first lap.
The American swimmer was holding a pace between third and fourth during the race.
Then they hit the last lap.
Finke starts closing the gap and reaches the wall to push off before the final length. He explodes off the wall staying under water long enough to gain ground. As he comes out of the water, he overtakes the leader to reach the finish with plenty of room to spare.
While watching this and the women’s 100 meter track race later I thought of three principles these athletes teach us about toughness that all leaders can apply.
Focus
At the end of Finke’s race during his interview they asked what was going on in his mind during that final length. I imagine all sorts of thoughts raced through his head such as “I am exhausted,” “I can’t swim anymore,” “my body hurts,” or even “I want to quit.” None of these thoughts dominated. What dominated was the voice of his coach yelling in his head not to quit.
When it gets hard where does our focus go? As leaders we often want to quit. The climb feels too hard. The challenges look to big. (As an aside, if you aren’t experiencing these feelings ever I would ask: is your vision big enough?) I like what John Maxwell says in his book Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn:
“Not being controlled by our feelings means that we can face our fears, get out of our comfort zone, and try new things.”
Long before that evening Bobby Finke had developed the discipline to control his feelings in such a way he could focus on results.
Coaching
As I mentioned, in the post-race interview Finke said how he heard his coach’s voice in his head. I would assume all those other thoughts were competing, but his coach had not only helped him develop his body, but also his mind. As leaders we need someone in our corner to help us with our mental game.
I spent well over a decade helping athletes develop and when I launched the business I was amazed how many mental battles I had to face. I too need someone in my corner just like an athlete to encourage, challenge, and help me think. Who is the coach in your corner and who do you need to be a coach to?
Trust the Process
As I was watching this race I thought he must have had a plan. He did not get out front and hold the lead of this long race. He paced himself strategically. When the time was right, he burst ahead. I am certain for years he has raced with this process and seen positive results.
I wonder if he ever got bored and wanted to try a new method. Maybe. The process of timing worked so he trusted it. As leaders we need to innovate as John mentioned above, but we also need to trust the processes that work and know the right timing to make our move as Finke did.
As a leader how are you doing in these areas. Just like sports, leadership is a mental game. Who do you have in your corner to coach you and help you win the mental game? Need help thinking into your timing or with focus? If these are areas you need to grow in contact me at randy@wheelercoachingsystems.com and let’s discover if I can help you reach Olympic level results in your leadership. Lead Well.
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