The Tactic That Won Olympic Team Gold

✍️ Coming up in today’s edition:

1. One quick win: Olympic gold medalist shares performance enhancer

2. One proven system: Heroic vs. Servant Leadership - which is better?

3. One million-dollar question: How to pick your dream team

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1. THE TACTIC THAT HELPED THEM WIN OLYMPIC GOLD

The Paris Olympics was another example of incredible human achievements.

But what separates those that win gold from the rest of the pack?

Before the games, I sat down with Team GB Swimmer and 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, Tom Dean, to ask him just that.

The one tactic that stood out to me was his relentless focus on staying in the moment.

Your rumination, analysis, worry, and need to control the future are likely to rob you of the current moment.

Yes, there is a time for preparation, but continually thinking of the future guarantees you'll never enjoy the present or perform at your best.

So what practical methods can you implement to stay in the moment?

Use the 5-4-3-2-1 “Grounding” technique to anchor you to the present moment before your next big meeting or project this week 👇

Identify:

• 5 things you can see

• 4 things you can touch

• 3 things you can hear

• 2 things you can smell

• 1 thing you can taste

Grounding redirects your attention to the here and now, preventing your mind from spiralling into worry about future events.

It is no surprise that Tom’s focus on the now has led to his tremendous success as the 4× 200m freestyle team went on to retain their Olympic title (Tom’s 3rd gold medal at only 24 years old 👏)

2. THE HOST LEADERSHIP APPROACH USED BY THE CEO OF EASYJET AND THE GUARDIAN

There are two types of leaders.

Heroic Leaders like Margaret Thatcher, Angela Merkel, and Indira Gandhi who are known for their bold, decisive actions and centralising authority. They excel in moments of crisis and often lead through personal strength, vision, and determination.

The challenge with this style is that it can unintentionally disempower teams, appear to have no time for anyone else’s ideas or input, limit collaboration and cause an over-reliance on the leader which is a dangerous strategy if they leave the company.

The ironic thing is that they are usually committed to the success of the business - so much so that they are focused on doing things their way, in the mistaken belief that they have all the right answers.

So in the 21st century, there has been a rise of a new type of leadership - Servant Leadership.

The core idea is that leaders should serve their teams by listening, showing empathy, promoting inclusivity, and fostering a supportive, ethical environment. Leaders act as stewards, focusing on the growth and success of the individuals and the organisation, rather than seeking power or control.

Servant Leaders like Jacinda Ardern, Oprah Winfrey, and Mary Kay Ash focus on empowering others, fostering community and collaboration, and prioritising the well-being of those they lead.

This approach often results in a strong sense of community, higher morale, and sustainable success.

Despite its traction, Servant Leadership can sometimes be misinterpreted as weakness, lead to indecisiveness or water-downed solutions and ultimately slow down decision-making; which is often ineffective in high-pressure situations or crises.

What if there was a third way?

Dame Carolyn McCall, CEO of Easyjet and previously CEO at Guardian Media Group, shares this belief. She believes there can be a time and a place for a directional and driven leader, and it has been very effective during her career in moments of crisis.

However, Carolyn always got more out of her staff at the Guardian Newspaper by coaching them on the issues they were facing rather than telling them what to do and how to do it.

Dr Mark McKergow has coined this as Host Leadership, combining both styles.

The act of hosting (receiving or entertaining guests or strangers) is as old as mankind.

• Hosts sometimes have to act heroically - stepping forward, planning, inviting, introducing and providing.

• They also act in service - stepping back, encouraging, asking questions and giving space to others.

Your job is to both step forward and step back.

Being stuck in either of these modes can be counterproductive.

3. WHICH PEOPLE WOULD YOU WANT TO SPEND THE LAST DAY OF YOUR LIFE WITH?

I promise you this is a more uplifting question than it seems 😅 

Warren Buffet was asked by a young boy about what he would do if he had 1 more day with Charlie Munger 😥 

His response still gives me goosebumps 👇

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At the end of Warren’s response, he flips the question on it’s head and asks:

“Who would you want to spend the last day of your life with? Then figure out a way to start meeting them and meet them as often as you can.”

The average person spends about 8 to 9 hours per day at work.

This adds up to approximately 90,000 hours or more spent at work, assuming a 40-year career.

So the people you spend time with every day influence your happiness, success and fulfilment.

I thought that was a phenomenal question to ask about the people we are spending our lives with when working in teams.

Who would you love to work with for the next 40 years and spend your days with?

It’s worked wonders for Warren and Charlie as they were both well in their 90s and he mentioned two important points:

1. how happy they were with the work they did every day

2. how much fun they had together

We can all find that in our working relationships too.

RIP Charlie ❤️

MY FAVOURITE FINDS 🔗

For your performance:

• Ex-NBA star on a simple framing of what it takes to become a great champion (Kenny Smith)

• 9 habits of highly successful athletes (X list)

For your team:

• Caitlin Clark on why scoring doesn’t determine whether you are playing good or bad (WBNA)

• Ex-FBI agent explains how to recognise the power dynamics in any team (FastCompany)

For your health:

• What’s more important - thinking more positively or thinking less negatively (Find out here on Lewis Howes’s podcast)

• Everything you need to take for A* gut health (List)

Thanks!

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