What do Simone Biles, Adam Peaty, Tom Dumoulin & Ben Stokes have in common?
Many will think sport & you’re right. Gold medal gymnast & swimmer, Grand Tour winning cyclist & World Cup winning cricketer.
They also have in common that they recently took time from their profession to recharge & protect their mental health.
I spent many years in professional & top end amateur sports & there is expectation. That you keep going, dig in, go again, because one thing is certain;
You’re going to lose.
No matter how prepared, not matter how good, you will lose. Someone will be better than you on the day.
The measure of a great performer is the ability to bounce back. Dust yourself off, don’t sulk & be strong. It’s the weak that give up.
Or is it?
Imagine the courage it takes to stand up in a culture where standing back is seen as a weakness and saying, “I’m standing back.”
It is not a weakness to take a break. It is a strength. One we should be teaching to all of our people, whether they play a sport or deliver a service to a client.
Create a culture where people can be open, have space & recharge. Remember how unstoppable they were when they felt great. Gold medals or customer engagement are both the same.