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The Olympics is known as ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ for a reason.
Over 16 days, 10,500 athletes from more than 200 nations put on a spectacle like no other. Alongside the Paralympics, which begins later in August, the world’s leading sportspeople walk, run, jump, hurdle, hit, kick, throw, ride, paddle, flip, swim, swing, aim, and generally dazzle us in an enthralling array of sport.
There are, of course, the big hitters. As athletes thunder down the track during the 100-meter finals, or fly, twist, and contort beyond comprehension in the gymnastics arena, sport becomes theatre and even the most reluctant viewer cannot take their eyes off the screen.
But the beauty of the Olympics is the diversity of sports (and competitors) on display. There is a thrill in watching an entirely novel event in which you have no prior knowledge, and rapidly turn from total novice to impassioned expert.
I, for example, can’t profess to have ever watched Kayak Cross (dubbed ‘Mario Kart with boats’ on social media by similarly gripped viewers), but there I was on Saturday afternoon hollering at the screen while the racers powered their way down the rapids.
Or take my partner, who has switched from utter sports ambivalence to die-hard Olympics aficionado, buoyed on by our visit to the Women’s Rugby Sevens finals in Paris in which we watched Alex Sedrick score a breathtaking breakaway try and subsequent conversion to secure the bronze medal for team USA.
Biles, Lyles, & beyond: The Olympics have lessons for us all, including employers
It’s true that I’m a born-and-bred sports fan, so my perspective is a little biased. But I am not alone in coming away from each moment of Olympic action I am privelged to witness with a renewed appreciation and fascination for the human spirit.
There’s the unfathomable combination of unbridled skill and sheer resilience needed to compete at this loftiest of levels. But there’s also the respect, joy, and (competitive) camaraderie shared between athletes and fans from all over the world. It is the moments of collective celebration and awe, as well as the individual stories of personal struggle that make it so compelling.
And with each of these events, moments, and stories, come valuable lessons for us all – including employers.
Let’s consider two of the best examples of athletes who have earned the honor of being crowned gold medalist in their field – as the single greatest sportsperson in their field – US gymnast Simone Biles and sprinter Noah Lyles.
Biles shows the need for supporting mental wellbeing & celebrating sheer excellence
First up, the unbelievably gracious, powerful, artistic, resilient, strong, iconic, and inspirational Biles for whom one never runs out of superlatives. The most decorated gymnast of all time has scored three gold medals (so far) in the individual and team all-around events, as well as the individual vault. By the time you’re reading this article, she may well have even more.
Her well-documented story, as a gymnast, is apt. When she has been on top, her performances have been near-faultless. But she has also had to cope with a share of twists, tumbles, and painful falls.
Withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 amid a mental health crisis, before taking a two-year break from the sport, Biles could have been forgiven for stepping away from the sport for good. She had nothing left to prove. She had already won countless Olympic and world championship medals. Why step back into the pressure cooker that is the gymnastics competition floor, subjecting herself to endless media and social media scrutiny?
But she didn’t. Biles returned, and with her gold medals, proved both why she is the greatest of all time (GOAT), and why it is so important to give everyone – not just Olympic athletes, but all people, including employees – the support they need to work through wellbeing issues in a safe, secure way.
“At the end of the day, we're human, too,” Biles said in 2021. “We have to protect our mind and our body rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do.” More than one in five Americans live with some kind of mental illness, and now Biles has shown what can happen when people are given that protection.
Biles won on her terms and demonstrated that nothing, even a Gold Medal, is more important than her own wellbeing. This is a message employers would do well to remember when times are tough and workers need support and encouragement to rest and recover.
But it also applies when times are good and they deserve the chance to celebrate successes. “You guys really gotta stop asking athletes what’s next after they win a medal at the Olympics,” Biles wrote on X over the weekend. “Let us soak up the moment we’ve worked our whole lives for.”
Lyles’ remarkable 100m victory shows the power of personality
Between Biles and Lyles there are similarities as well as difficulties. Lyles, like his Team USA colleague, has been vocal about his mental health journey, speaking openly about his journey with depression including medication, therapy, and finding his own balance.
His wonderfully confident style throughout the Olympics, though, contrasted with Biles’ quiet, focused demeanor. Lyles’ showmanship, somewhat missing in the world of Athletics since Usain Bolt’s retirement, demanded nothing but gold. It’s certainly what he demanded of himself.
And in arguably the greatest (if not, the closest) ever Olympic 100-meter men’s final, he delivered. By just five-thousandths of a second, Lyles won Gold. Sensational.
Not content with the pressure of a stadium, a country, and millions of eyeballs across the globe, Lyles was happy to add something extra into the mix: his raw, unfiltered, brilliant personality.
Companies should celebrate and create a culture where all workers, like Lyles, feel comfortable to let their personalities thrive. Those like Biles who have a laser-like focus and determination; those like Lyles who let their personality shine throughout all they do; those like the coaches, support teams, and training partners who put in the days, weeks, and years of hard graft behind the scenes to create the magical moments that last with us, the grateful audience, for decades to come.
When all feel free to let their personality, motivation, and drive shine through their work, and know that they will be supported through their tests as well as their triumphs, excellence ensues.
And when it does, remember Biles’ plea: Let your people sit back and soak up the moment. They’ve earned it.
