In 195 days, 15 hours, 17 minutes and 14 seconds (at time of writing), London will throw its doors open to the world, and every sport imaginable will be contested by representatives from every country imaginable, and quite honestly the entire nation will be engulfed with Olympic fever.
For many, the Olympics represent opportunity, economic growth and a rare chance for the British press to fill the front and back pages with something other than gloomy recession-related stories, pay cuts, and economic cul-de-sacs.
In fact, at the vast majority of networking events I’ve attended already this year I’ve seen the buzz about the Olympic year, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that many simply don’t want to let just pass by – and when you see someone adopting such a positive attitude, you can’t help but take inspiration from it.
One phrase that springs to mind when I think about those with unwavering positivity, is one that The Living Leader repeatedly turns to in its leadership programmes: what you think is what you create.
I’m not delusional however, there’s a large section of British society that won’t see the Olympic Games 2012 in quite the same light, in fact they’ll most probably see it as something that will hinder the economic recovery rather than give it an all-important boost.
The increased traffic on the roads, people taking time off work, and packed transport networks will all contribute to a thoroughly miserable and non-eventful few weeks. They have no excitement for July and August, and no sense of opportunity. So what do you think they’ll get from the Games? Well, they’ll probably end up seeing it just as they predict, a hurdle to get over before things can get back to normal in September. But, by the same token, those with a positive mindset who believe the Games will throw up opportunities for their business to grow and prosper, will more than likely do just that.
Take this concept back into the working environment, as a leader you have a team of people working together, and you have the task of getting the most from the group in terms of results and levels of motivation. Would you rather work with the team that sees every day, event, meeting and interaction as an opportunity to learn, grow and succeed, or would you prefer to head up the team that rarely sees opportunity in the anything that is slightly removed from the norm?
This is the crucial part, because the likelihood is that those who see the opportunities that lie within the Olympic Games coming to London, are probably the same people who see opportunity when they are asked to work over the weekend on a project, or invited to make a presentation to the board of directors. This is about a shift in culture, actually changing the way people think and act, not just today or for the rest of the year, but for good. It needs to be an attitude visibly demonstrated and lived and breathed throughout the organisation – this is when sustainable change is created.
Whether the Olympics bring the economic boost that the country requires or not, it is a huge event that will put the spotlight on Britain in a way that has not been seen for many years. So, those leaders who not only see the summer as a chance to build and grow, but also have aspirations to inspire those around them to think and act in the same way, will be the ones who capitalise when the world arrives on London’s doorstep.
Emma Littmoden – See The Living Leader at The HR Directors Business Summit 2012 – Click here
The Living Leader
