As the world watches the competitions at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this week, there is much to be learned about Leadership and Resilience in the stories of two women who refused to be counted out. Founder Sara Sweat, highlights some of the lessons business leaders can take from their examples.
Sara Sweat, MA – Founder & CEO, A Life Curated
During the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, I found myself riveted as Celine Dion returned to public performing on the largest of stages – high atop of Eiffel Tower. This triumphant return occuring mere months after a documentary detailing her battle with a rare and degenerative neurological autoimmune disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome was released.
As the competitions began this week, we’ve all been captivated by the incredible performances of our US Women’s Gymnastics Team. Led by Simone Biles, a trauma survivor whose untreated mental health concerns forced her to withdraw from competition in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when they created a safety issue for her, who was not expected to ever return to the sport. Not only did she return, but her effort has already culminated in a gold medal performance at the Paris games.
I am always struck by the unique blend of physical acumen, mental fortitude, emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking that sets apart those who truly excel in their given field. While it might seem worlds apart from the gymnastics arena or the musical stage, the parallels between elite performance in leadership in business are striking.
As a leader, you’re constantly navigating a complex landscape of challenges, opportunities, and pressures. You’re expected to be a visionary, a strategist, a motivator, and a problem-solver all at once – regardless of what else is going on in your life.
As I’ve read more about their stories this week, I’ve found there is much to be gleaned from the extraordinary journeys of Simone Biles and Celine Dion.
Hard Work and Determination is the Foundation
Simone Biles is a testament to the power of unwavering dedication. Beginning her gymnastics studies at 6 years old, the countless hours spent perfecting flips, twists, and landings are in service to the relentless pursuit of excellence.
Celine Dion was of a similar age when she began performing publically with her family & spent her life growing and honing her craft winning hundreds of awards including 5 grammys and even holding multiple Guinness World Records.
But, for both artists, it was their dedication to working hard in the face of challenges that would have proven insurmountable for most that created these unforgettable performances. They put in the hours to train even when the hard work didn’t yield the results they wanted. They found new ways to practice their craft when the old ways stopped working – many of which included periods of rest.
In her 2024 documentary I Am: Celine Dion, the musician closes by saying “If I can’t run, I’ll walk, if I can’t walk, I’ll crawl. I won’t stop.”
As someone who works with leaders every day, I am often inspired by the determination and work ethic we bring to our own areas of expertise. But, it’s important to remember that success is about more than just putting in the hours; it’s about the quality of effort and the commitment to continuous improvement. It’s about the willingness to pivot and find new ways of pushing ourselves – even if those new methods move us away from the very practices that we’ve relied upon to build the success we’ve already achieved.
Self-Awareness is the Compass
And, self-awareness is a critical guide on that journey. One of the most remarkable aspects of Simone’s story is her unflinching self-awareness. Amidst the overwhelming pressure to perform at the Tokyo Olympics, she made the decision to withdraw from the competition. She knew that the experience she was having – “getting lost” in her routines, feeling her “mind and body were out of sync” were not something she could push through in safety. Regardless of your personal beliefs about her choice, there is no denying that this act of self-preservation is a masterclass in leadership.
As leaders, we will always receive input from those around us – solicited or not. So we must possess a deep understanding of our own strengths, weaknesses, and limitations. We must be students of our own internal signals showing us when to push and when to pause, when to lead from the front and when to empower others, when to take a risk and when to stay the course.
It’s why our model at A Life Curated always begins with a focus on self knowledge. We can’t map a course to where we’re going until we know where we are.
Courage to Act on Intuition
And, then, we’ve got to actually summon the courage to act based on that intuition. Have you ever had a gut feeling that you didn’t listen to? A choice you felt compelled to make, but just couldn’t bring yourself to act on? It happens to all of us – usually to less than stellar results.
In the case of Celine Dion, while acknowledging she was not well, she chose to keep the details of her medical diagnosis private until recently. This decision provoked much speculation and public pressure as she began to cancel shows, back out of tours, & eventually drop from the spotlight entirely. She could have kept pushing. She could have relied on lip synching or other vocal manipulation technologies to prolong her ability to to perform.
But, she knew that what she really needed was rest. In addition to the various medical interventions and therapies she embarked upon, Celine took the time to mourn the death of her husband, spend precious time with her children, & care for herself in a way that’s not easy for those at the top of their game to permission themselves to do.
Often, our best decisions come from that place of gut feeling, informed by good information and sound judgment. But, the courage to actually make the leap – when we have no idea if our calculated risk will pay off – is its own skill set. One made increasingly more tolerable in the care and support of our community.
The Power of Community to Create Resilience
In retrospect, it’s actually kind of unbelievable that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics even took place. With much of the world still on lockdown from the COVID-19 global pandemic, athletes from around the world traveled to compete – almost all of them without the very support systems that had championed them there.
As many of us discovered during the height of the pandemic, physical isolation typically serves to amplify our negative emotions. In her documentary, Simone Biles Rising, the athlete and her family speak candidly about the impact their physical separation during the competition had on her mental state. Her mother recalls, “It was the first time her father and I weren’t there. She always knows exactly where we are sitting and looks to us during her meets. But, we weren’t there.” Simone recalls the athletes being only allowed access to the event hall and their rooms to minimize risk of exposure – but leaving little time for anything but overthinking and scrolling social media – not exactly a recipe for success.
Conversely, Celine Dion has spoken often about the positive impact of her support system and the community of her fans since her diagnosis. At the premiere of her documentary earlier this year she addressed them directly saying “Your presence in my journey has been a gift beyond measure. Your never-ending love and support over all these years have delivered me to this moment. I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have my fans in my life.”
As I work with leaders at all stages of their careers, one area of focus is always the intentional cultivation of community. As humans we are wired for connection and will always get farther in life and in work when we tap into that innate wiring to help us grow and learn. But, it’s also vital that we build it into our organizations and teams. By earning trust, fostering collaboration, and creating clear vision, mission, and values, we set others up to unlock their own full potential thereby accomplishing far more than we could have on our own.
Simone Biles and Celine Dion are from very different realms than most of us will ever encounter. But, the common thread of exceptional leadership through hard work, self-awareness, courage, & community tell a story of resilience from which we all can learn.
What are your thoughts on the leadership lessons of Simone Biles and Celine Dion? Share your insights in the comments below.
