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Janssen Sports Leadership Center Team Member Shelley Johnson was in Beijing for the Summer Olympic games. Here are her 5 Leadership Lessons from her Olympic experience.
The Redeem Team, USA Men's Basketball: Team Builder
Dubbed the Redeem Team, the USA men's basketball team had a daunting task. It was responsible for redeeming 8 years of lackluster performances - on the court and off - of its predecessors. To do so required an attitude overhaul. This came in a variety of forms - from the subtle to the more explicit.
Stylistically, the uniforms were made over: the USA on front switched to a vibrant red, over the more muted blue of an individual player's name on the back. More over, the program had buy-in. It received the commitment of 33 NBA players for a 3-year cycle which included the 2006 World Championships and the 2008 Olympics.
These changes made a difference in the teams of the past and the current program. In Coach K's words, "We need time to develop camaraderie. We have to be committed to one another before we can be committed to the team. We're developing a program, not 'selecting a team.' No one ever 'selects a team;' you select people and hope they become a team" (SI, 7/28/08).
Most importantly, the players reached out to their fellow Olympians in mutual admiration. The players indulged in the Olympic athlete experience - short of staying in the athletes' village - walking in the Opening Ceremonies and appreciating the games as spectators. The Redeem Team made appearances at women's basketball, tennis, boxing, beach volleyball and of course swimming events.
In a July 28, 2008 Sports Illustrated article, Alexander Wolff explained the net effect of the attitude overhaul on team building and its end result, "Until an athlete bows his head, after all, no one can hang a gold medal around his neck."
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Ten days before the Olympics opened - Bhavasar had packed his bags for the games and eagerly awaited his Olympic debut.
A month earlier, it was a different story. Bhavasar was named an alternate for the USA men's gymnastics team . . . again. He was an alternate for the 2004 games in Athens. This was his third attempt at making the Olympics. The subjectivity involved in the team's selection did not provide answers to the questions which lingered. If it were you, you would have packed it in, right? If not after the 2004 Olympics trials, then most assuredly after 2008. Not Bhavasar. He stayed the course and continued to train. Previously, he had put the sport - and the importance of making the team - into perspective.
He explains, "We are all magnificent regardless of our career path. Our career does not have to define us as a human being. There is so much more to being a human being than all of this" (NBC clip).
He resolved to become the driver rather than be the victim of the subjective selection process of making the team.
Laura Berg, USA Softball: Servant Leader
It is inevitable: someone younger, someone faster comes along to replace the veteran player. Laura Berg has played both parts, happily.
Without self-pity and hard feelings over reduced playing time, she still found a way to remain viable, valuable and even indispensable as a member of the 2008 USA Olympic softball team. Head Coach Mike Candrea explains how Berg accomplished this, "She does more than anyone imagines, even behind the scenes. She's the jokester. She's the leader. She's a competitor. She's a lady of many faces, and they are all quality faces" (USA Softball website).
Berg's position as assistant coach at Fresno State, her alma mater, has no doubt facilitated her transition from starter to role player, mentor, prankster and pep talk giver. Her teammates hang on her every word during huddles, marvel at endless energy and stay up from her constant encouragement - even when she is not in the lineup.
One teammate pays particular attention: her replacement, Caitlin Lowe, the current starting center-fielder and lead-off batter. Berg has even taken to mentoring Lowe. Lowe grew up watching Berg, emulating her, aspiring to be her and now peppers her with questions about her big-game experiences.
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For McCutcheon, the first 15 days of the Games were filled with tragedy and ultimately triumph: from the senseless stabbing of his in-laws to coaching the men's team to a gold medal.
In between, he flip-flopped between the extremes with palindromic measure - from consoling his family to coaching his team; at once being bedside at the hospital to being courtside at the volleyball venue.
All the while, the team kept winning. His expression, his side-line demeanor in no way belied his off-court circumstances. McCutcheon attributed it to compartmentalizing the two experiences, namely taking it moment by moment, being totally present where ever he was and focusing on the task at hand, be it grief or the next game.
This was never more evident than during the final time-out during the deciding fifth set of the semi-final match against Russia when McCutcheon took control amidst the player-described "confusion" of the moment. That he was the voice of reason and the man with a plan spoke volumes of his composure given all he had been through recently.
It seemed almost inhuman, nearly impossible to do what he had done: complete the last leg of a four-year mission of program resurrection in light of personal tragedy. That is until you catch a glimpse of his humanity and an indication of all that he held at bay. With the gold medal won only moments earlier, he had already exchanged a handshake with the opposing coach. No sooner had their palms parted did he quickly grasp his head and then slide over his eyes to cover the tears of joy and sorrow.
Ara Abrahamian, Sweden Wrestling: Character
Sometimes the most valuable lessons are learned not through the shining and exemplary moments of leadership but rather those where there is a void.
Abrahamian stood on the medal podium with the bronze medal around his neck. Is this the picture of a wrestler soaking in his Olympic moment? Seemingly so, until he stepped off the podium, removed the medal from his neck, discarded it in the middle of the mat and stormed off while the medal ceremony was still in progress.
Previously, Abrahamian lost in the semi-final round but went on to win the bronze. In response to the semi-final loss, he accused the judges of corruption and then announced his retirement in spite. Abrahamian had to be physically restrained in his post-bout confrontation with the officials.
The IOC disqualified the Swedish wrestler, stripped him of the bronze and his Olympic accreditation explaining the he violated two rules of the Olympic charter. One bans any sort of demonstrations, and another demands respect for all Olympic athletes. It ordered the Swedish Olympic Committee to enforce the decision and instructed the wrestling federation to take any further action it saw fit.
Because actions speak louder than words.