Perhaps you’ve been buried in work, attending to family stuff, or just had your head stuck in the sand this week and you don’t know that Michael Phelps made history with his 22nd Olympic win…and he’s not done.
As I watched him barely able to get out of the pool I was emotionally moved. There’s a lot we can learn from watching athletes and here are just 4 quick tips I think entrepreneurs, small business owners, and marketers can benefit from observing Phelps this week.
- Leave nothing in the tank: Michael Phelps by all counts is an old swimmer. He shouldn’t be able to do what he’s doing. After winning his 21st gold medal he could barely get himself out of the pool. He’d completely exhausted himself. He gave the race every bit of energy he had. He understands that to make history, to do great work, you can’t leave reps in your tank.
- Treat triumph and disaster both the same. Most of only know the champion side of his story, but Michael has been on a journey and the road at times has been dark and littered with depression and drug rehab. I’m glad that Michael found the strength to pull himself up, and get back to his family, friends, and work. That’s the 2nd thing I think we should keep in mind. We’ll meet with triumph and disaster and we have to find the courage and strength to treat them both the same.
- Be thankful and humble during times of victory. I watched Michael during the interviews after each race. He was exuberant but maintained humbleness. When the money is rolling in it can be easy to forget where we’ve come from…don’t. Instead stay humble!
- Acknowledge the efforts of your team. And that’s the last thing I want you to pay attention to. During the interviews he constantly brought it back to the U.S. swim team and how they depended on each other. None of us can go it alone. Acknowledge your family, partners, and clients that make your success possible.