What do Olympic athletes and your staff have in common?

The latest Winter Olympics just finished last week. It was a good reminder of how the same issues can appear in sports as in work life.

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen is a Brazilian-Norwegian Alpine skier who recently won Brazil’s first-ever Winter Olympic gold medal in giant slalom. Not only was it the first for Brazil, but for any South American country.

He is only 25 years old and previously competed for Norway. He was a talented skier as a teenager and had several World Cup race podiums before retiring. That happened just one day before the new season’s opening in 2023, which I find telling in many ways; more about that later on.

He then took some time off, did things he enjoyed doing and found joy in life and sports again. This led to a decision to get back to the sport a few months later, this time representing Brazil without the same pressure. Now, he was able to set the goals and limits as he saw fit.

Anyone following the Winter Olympics, or winter sports in general, must have noticed how far ahead of everyone else Norway is. When you win 25% more medals than the second in the medal standings, nothing less will probably do. This will lead to immense pressure on the athletes who will be made aware that winning is the standard expectation (Norway won 18 gold medals in Italy, compared to the 12 for the USA, which came next in the standings).

The skier I saw winning the gold for Brazil was clearly a talented one, and his face when he saw he won was worth seeing too. You can tell this guy has skill, passion and personality, all of which might not fit into the box Olympic athletes are pushed into under the pressure of success. I am sure the way the athletes are trained is deemed the best method available, but in no context does this kind of approach work for all. Here is a person who loves his sport and, finally, without a pressure-cooker of any kind, is able to do things in his own terms. The joy of doing what he loves is clearly there now, with the result that was expected from him before he retired.

A similar story was revealed with the gold medal for the USA’s Alysa Liu, who retired from figure skating already at 16. She had been skating since she was 5 years old and had achieved almost everything possible on both national and international levels, not to forget attending her first Olympics before her retirement.

Anyone watching her performance in the figure skating final surely saw someone who loves what she does and was able to enjoy it, as well as showing everyone what she is capable of. It wasn’t only her skills that won her the gold, but her performance, which practically lit the room. I doubt many would think she didn’t deserve the top spot. 

Not only did she look like the happiest person in the world after she finished her program, but she was also genuinely happy for all her competitors. In her golden glimmering dress and a gold medal, she shone both from the inside and out.

After being pushed to the edge throughout her childhood, she had had enough by the time she was 16. As there were no expectations for her then to be anything other than herself, she was able to be just that. She was able to get to know herself as a person, not just as an athlete, and enjoy life and sports again.

She found the joy in skating again and has now found a way to do it on her terms. The rest is golden history. She has shown us that too much pressure can break you eventually, instead of you becoming the best version of yourself. When you can be yourself and can have a say in what works best for you and what allows you to thrive, the results will be different.

What we can all learn from examples like these is that no matter how talented someone is, the environment matters just as much as the talent. If you try to force people into boxes that are not the right ones for them, the results will not be what you want. Greatness cannot be forced. When someone trains at the top level and still leaves the game when you least expect it, it should work as a warning sign. There must have been many before, and at that point, even if it will be too late to fix things for that individual, it allows you to prevent the same happening with someone else. When you listen to people and help them have the conditions that let them thrive, everyone wins. Whether it is the athlete and their country, or the employee and the company, surely a win-win beats a no-win for all.

Another thing we can learn from the amazing athletes we saw is that support always helps. When people support and are happy for their competitors, it will be easier to focus on what you are doing and be your best, rather than having to use energy on fighting the negativity. That is a part of the environment we all need to be our best, even if not chasing a gold medal.