| TRACK STAR USAIN BOLT SETS THE PACE FOR BUSINESS LEADERS AT IMD EVENT ON SUSTAINING SUCCESS |
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Lausanne, Switzerland, July 7, 2010 – Business and sports often intersect and in both, staying on top isn’t easy. The world’s fastest man, Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, gave insight to his multiple record breaking achievements at a joint IMD and AISTS event dedicated to sustaining success. Currently in the fast-lane, 23 year-old Bolt related to business leaders in discussing the similar obstacles one faces when consistently operating at peak performance. Executives also need to keep their thoughts focused on a plan, yet Bolt warns in taking it too far and straying from original ideas. “Don’t over-think — when you think too much about what you have to do, you mess up. When you know what you want to do, you don’t need to think,” he said. Along with mind comes attitude. Overconfidence in sports and in business increases expectations and demands. “I never tell directly what I’m going to do. If I do, people will really start questioning and that’s a pressure you don’t need,” Bolt said. Bolt’s agent Ricky Simms, who also addressed the audience, agreed. “Sometimes the weight of a medal and the attraction of being a star are too much for athletes. Bolt is very competitive and wants to win his game.” Good working relationships, such as Bolt’s with Simms, and his coach Glen Mills (who also spoke at IMD in 2009), are also indispensable in bringing about success through listening and learning. Likewise, as a child, Bolt was taught to respect and listen to everybody and search for what he didn’t know. In drawing the parallels to executives, IMD Professor John Weeks noted: “We all want to be able to identify our strengths. Usain Bolt found out what he was best at and was able to build upon it. We need to figure out what works best for us and pursue it while learning from others.” For Bolt, in being on top, risk is always out there. Bolt deals with failure by accepting that it may be an option and knowing that bad days do exist – a point that is also linked to business. “Sport is about having perspective and sport is a part of life,” said Dr Mattia Piffaretti, a lecturer at AISTS. Bolt’s perspective is to relax and stay focused. His goal is to be a legend. But in facing the challenge of continuously performing, Bolt does have anxiety for the future. And in that, perhaps a message to managers to think about in trying new things and growing. “If you continue, you will get bored and can’t accomplish more,” Bolt said. “I want to be a legend in this sport, so I think I have to do something else, maybe the long jump.” Concluding, Bolt reminded his audience to always focus on the big picture. “It’s a performance, not a competition,” he said. Read more on achieving potential in Professor Weeks’ article: Tips from track star Usain Bolt. Watch an exclusive interview with Usain Bolt and download photos.
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