Leadership Values Gleaned From The Sports of Decathlon

I was watching the ninth leg of the decathlon of the London Olympics. It focused on the javelin. The best performance was about 76 metres while the weakest bordered around 50m. The differential is quite significant and is evidence of the comparative strengths of each decathlete in each of the 10 events: three jumps, three throws, and four runs. One weak link can affect the whole chain of performance, through over-training or under-training.

World record holder Ashton Eaton (USA) won gold (8,869 points) in the decathlon, while American teammate Trey Hardee picked up the silver. Cuba's Leonel Suarez claimed bronze and was 346 points behind Eaton.

Decathlon legends Bruce Jenner (USA) and Daley Thompson (UK) were regarded as the ‘Best Athlete In the World’ when they each broke world records. The cumulative points for all 10 disciplines describe the overall performance of each competitor. Thus, they attempt to score as many points as they can for each sport however good or better they are. Often, the decathlete has a few pet events that they capitalize on. What shows up clearly is if they are better jumpers, throwers or runners. Therefore, the extreme difference in distances (100m versus 1,500m) tests the limits of running for each decathlete. Each sport involves long hours honing the skills and techniques required for each discipline. Therefore, it is a grueling sport where total time spent to train can be enormous. When considering sports like biathlon, triathlon, Modern Pentathlon and the decathlon – there is so much to do to display ‘higher, faster and stronger’.

Leadership Lessons: How much hardship can you endure? When in a long-term project, how do you remain patient and committed to completing the task? Do you focus on enhancing your strengths or doing your best in all your abilities and competencies? How often do you address your competencies, or lack of it?

Split-Second Decisions

Michael Phelps – as experienced and legendary as he was – lost by a tap in his pet race. Nicola Surig of Switzerland won yesterday’s Women’s Triathlon at Hyde Park through a nail-biting, finish-sprint and photo-finish. She beat Sweden’s Lisa Norden for gold by a hair’s breadth; Norden did lunge forwards like a sprinter at the tape although, sadly, officials decided that Surig won. Mo Farah’s and Galen Rupp’s gallant sprint to the end of the 10,000m yesterday made for exciting television. They were separated by 0.48 seconds for the gold and silver.

Our decisions decide our fate. From the simple to the complex of decisions, we make them so as to take action. Inaction is a choice, and it leads to consequences and, sometimes, regret. National Sports Associations (NSAs) and their best choice of athletes for medal prospects may make mistakes. Pre-selections and time-trials can only account for so much. Other variables come into play during fair and unfair play.

A losing basketball team may bounce back from near-defeat to equalize in the last game, and win it during the extra-time of play. A table-tennis player may decide to contest the point, reinstate her point, and recover to win a few more points in the same game. Win or lose – every point counts, and matters.

Injury from a slippery fall may lead to dropping out from a cycling race, yet staying on to complete the race, painfully, reflects signs of a true athlete: faster, stronger and higher.

How Important Are Past Achievements?

If you measure the worth of a person, do you measure him for what he has done, or what he is about to do?

Resumes are set ablaze with any iota of achievements and accomplishments. Many interviewees learn to play up their strengths and nullify their weaknesses. Certainly, the extreme version is when embellishments and selective deletion either makes for a fascinating candidate or a dubious and suspiciously ‘too good to be true’. You may be familiar with the saying: If it is too good to be true, then it’s too good to be true.

Yet, having observed these through anecdotal evidence and first-hand accounts, enhancing your resume is vastly different from padding your LinkedIn ‘work history’ or updating your Facebook profile page. As you design personal and professional challenges and achieve your goals/outcomes, these add on to your value of your credibility. Credibility involves experience and expertise. How much are you doing to develop both dimensions of your persona and stature?

In recent days of the London Olympics 2012, we have noticed how in the choppy, equal-lane, world of swimming two main messages. Firstly, how quickly it is for audiences and fans to dismiss a champion’s past performance because of failure to meet expectations. Secondly, consider how an emerging champion is questioned for their youthful potential. Either we have become cynical about human performance, or we are losing touch about the hard work and dedication each candidate has invested to build their status and reputation. Michael Phelps earned both kudos and kicks for his disappointing showing (for not bagging gold in his pet events), while the Chinese teenage-torpedo Ye Shi Wen is being suspected of using illegal sports-enhancing drugs. How does it feel to bear the weight of an entire nation that pins its hopes on you to do well, or bag a medal, or a gold medal? The shadow of other people's doubts (and even mistakes) can follow you around like Lance Armstrong, years after retiring from a marquee race. Accusations, however unjust and unfair, blemish one's reputation just because of doubt.

There is just no way to work around the doubters and the haters. Haters will always hate.

London Olympics 2012 & The Spirit of Volunteerism

Yesterday was the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics. Creative Director, Danny Boyle of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ fame designed this edition of the initiation ceremony. Interestingly, the lead in this lavish, historical production was one of the best Shakespearian actors, Sir Kenneth Branagh, who is himself an actor and director (recently, ‘Thor’).

It would be premature and unfair to compare Boyle’s work to Chinese uber-director, Zhang Yu Mou who directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic edition in Beijing. Both expressed their creativity and flamboyance in different ways. They were uniquely differently styles and thematic orientations; both married the traditional with the contemporary.

In Lord Sebastian Coe (a former world champion over the mile and 1,500m track events) address, he thanked the legion of volunteers for this colossal task. Indeed, volunteers are the backbone of the Modern Olympic Movement. They are critical to the successful and effective functioning of events for the 17 high-key days.

The spirit of volunteerism also extends to the celebrities who involved themselves in this once in a lifetime opportunity. Having volunteered for the Singapore Youth Olympic Games in 2010, I am learned in the ways on how volunteers can be engaged for the unique 5-ring experience. It is a test and validation of personal and team leadership. We have to pay attention to detail, and pay more attention to our volunteers. They are crucial to the success and character of the Games, which is often marked by trial and tribulations.

Having participated in dozens of marathons and triathlons, I am mindful and appreciative of the volunteers who make our personal challenges more meaningful and doable. They express care and consideration for us, beginning, during and after the event. It still means something special when a volunteer places a medal around our neck.

Help us thank a volunteer. We certainly will need them in the future.

Alarmed By What You’ve Read?

Will Ironman return to Asia?

Just because it is linked or shared via social media, does it mean that it is reliable? Many links are made with little regard for reading the article and being critical about its contents. Sharing material online still requires a sense of responsibility. Remember: you can still ignore the posting, if it contains drivel and dumbfounding data and descriptions.

Fear drives action. Action drives sales. I am openly annoyed with salespeople who attempt to make sales, by introducing dated literature and anecdotal evidence. Most claims made by the manufacturers (of these over-priced nutritional products) have not been validated by the FDA or similar national body. So, we should not be bamboozled by misleading advertising. Buyer beware, but use your head. Advertorials are also cleverly and thinly disguised reports on advertised products, and heavily tout their benefits. Consider slimming and beauty centres/chains, as well as product launches.

Many consumers have no idea what the numbers means: mg, mcg, and IUs. How do you what is the recommended daily rate? What happens if you are engaged in regular strenuous activities? Are you expected to consume more antioxidants if you engage in regular aerobic activities?

Perhaps, we should insist on more empirical research and less anecdotal reliance? If it is in the news, there is a higher degree of credibility, objectivity and believability if it is based on facts. Opinion pieces are more subjective. For instance, a leading online magazine reported that Macca will not be going to the Olympics, nor is Emma Snowsill who was an Olympian before. Because they were interviewed, and gave their perspectives the news is more worthy of our attention. If it is based on results, you cannot dispute the official results, unless there was a glaring typological error.

If this report was true and accurate, it may upset millions due to the implications and ramifications of secrecy/secret formula. It also suggests that labeling has been deceitful, or national authorities on food & drug control have been careless.

Countdown to the London Olympics 2012

Don't we just love our Moms? Rise and shine for the new sporting star in July & August!

July will be an exciting month since the London Olympic Games 2012 will be on. This once-in-four years sporting spectacle, promises new achievements and, perhaps, a few world records. The Opening Ceremony tends to be the highlight, as it gives viewers and spectators a strong taste of things to come. I was a guest at the British High Commission (in Singapore) in 2006 when the bidding was made, and it was a significant event. I was also in London at Covent Garden, when they shot the official trailer video of the London Olympic Games. Subsequently, we won the bid to organize the inaugural Youth Olympic Games 2010 in Singapore, and I was honoured to run (with hundreds others) with the Olympic Torch, and officiate in one of the games.

Due to the importance of this major global event, the Berlin Marathon has been pushed backwards (30 September) to allow the top marathoners to recover fully. The current world record for Men's Marathon (2:03:38, Patrick Makau, Kenya) was set on this flat, fast and scenic course that is punctuated with historical monuments. I look forward to racing with thousands others, and experience an attempt by the professionals on the world record once again.

Most of us who are unable to attend the Games can still do it from the privacy of our homes, as ‘live’ telecasts and online streaming sites will be featuring the fortnight of sports drama. The families of the athletes must surely be excited and proud. To be able to participate in a century-old sporting event, representing your country is an experience to be relished and remembered. Even as a spectator, you are immersed in the competitive air as fans cheer their favourite teams on.

May the best team win, and hopefully, friendships will be forged after the games. Otherwise, on the track, field, court or pool the athletes have to be focused and put their ‘game face’ on. Game on!

Suck It Up And Move On!

It took me almost a full week to work the soreness out of my legs; the high antioxidant pomegranate juice helped. I did not use compression tights to accelerate my recovery, or at least reduce the stiffness however watched my nutrition and rested for about five days. On the fifth and sixth days I did swimming; Friday was 2 hours of pool drills, and Saturday was a 75-minute, open-water session.

At Monday Tri Swim, we had a total of 22 swimmers. Our menu by coach Dion was: 200 Warm up > 100x3 Front & back kick/Free > 100x2 dolphin kick breaststroke/Free > 100x3 Paddles w/fins > 100x5(4) Sprint 75 jog 25 & 25 dolphin dives 75 freestyle > Treading. Plus, 25m butterfly stroke/75m freestyle. I felt fitter and able to hold my sets, although I was fatigued towards the end.

After a dismal finish at TNF100 last Saturday and a DQ (apparently, I missed the second timing-mat) was just a result, and I have moved on. If I was reinstated, my partner and I could have been on the podium. Such is life!

I have signed up for Sunday’s Newton 30K Run, and I think I may just race in it. My last foray took me about 2:35 for the distance. If all goes well, I may just equal it. This will be my last long run until the 4 December Singapore Marathon. I hope to do better than my 2009 PB of 3:36, if the weather is not too hot and humid. I also signed up for the Berlin Marathon 2012, since I missed out on Boston. I have not decided which Ironman would be my 13^th and Switzerland would be an option, however it would be smack before the London Olympics 2012.

My approach would be to suck it up, and just do it. It is so easy to make excuses, and procrastinate from work. I had enough rest and a painful recovery and it is time for me to start engaging the Ironman triathlon training mindset. I have about 16 weeks to get into competitive shape and a sub-12 hour PB. I owe it to myself to achieve that. If push goes to shove, I will embrace the suck. If I want to earn a personal best, I will have to brave the tough days ahead. After 11 Ironman races later, it is business as usual. Tonight I will do a tempo 10K run and tomorrow I will do a short ride just to reinstate my riding legs; it will be science meets my senses strategy.