Musings at Altitude

I can’t remember a time when sports provided such compelling drama that mirrors life and so clearly shows the will to overcome of the human spirit.  We saw that clearly in the Olympics as the entire nation watched Michael Phelps AND HIS TEAMMATES win those gold medals.  We also saw it so wonderfully displayed when Tiger Woods won another major championship in golf and then went straight into surgery. 

We’re also seeing it now as a then struggling quarterback was stocking groceries and is now leading his second team to the Super Bowl and no one gives them a chance.  But we’re seeing it even more vividly in the Australian Open where a tennis pro on the women’s side of the draw has overcome abuse and leaving the game to fight her way back now and make it to the quarter finals.

For me, it’s not the god-like status that the public sometimes puts on our sports heroes that is so compelling.  Instead, it’s the commitment to achieve and the ability to succeed against incredible odds and in spite of debilitating adversity that inspires me.  It’s also the humility that is often times demonstrated by those that have been blessed with incredible talents as they credit everyone else for their success, realizing that talent alone didn’t get them to the level they are today, but a team of people pulling towards a common goal.

I enjoy the player profiles and the background articles as much if not more than the competition itself.  I enjoy learning about the players and seeing the journey they have taken to get to that moment on the big stage where they can use their talents and all that training to achieve heroic results.  And I enjoy being sucked in to the compelling drama of the moment because of that background information, not just because of the title match occurring between two very good competitors.

And then I root for the underdog.  It’s no fun rooting for the team or person that’s supposed to win.

In business just as in sports, I root for the underdog.  I look for those who may not be nearly as gifted as others and reach out to them to hear their story and to help them achieve success.  I peer behind the day to day transactions and seek to understand life beyond business.  Each individual has a story to share, and each story carries the hopes and dreams of that individual as they focus on success.

To me, that’s not only compelling drama but motivation for me in my day to day business life.