What an amazing seventeen days it has been. If like me, and 23 million others in the UK alone, you were watching the closing ceremony of the 30th Olympic games London 2012 you will hopefully still be feeling the buzz of such an excellent night. London stood up at the end of such an eventful games and took a well deserved bow and showed the world how Great Britain really is. Each and every element that brought together such an energy fueled night had Charisma stamped all over it. From the start, showcasing new talent right through to bring back some of our most Charismatic Icons of the past, it was a show to end a games that will never be forgotten.
A shinning star Clare Balding proved herself every bit the Charisma icon she has become during the games and was out and about interviewing volunteers who had supported the games. Clare Balding has really shone during her Olympic coverage, adding her character and passion each and every time we have seen her. There was no lack of it on Sunday as she spoke to several people about what it has been like to be part of the games. It was amazing to hear the volunteers talk about the energy that was created, that everyone of the 70,000 volunteers felt every bit a part of the games as the athletes did. At the elite level of sport that has been showcased in the past seventeen days there is no such thing as individuals. Every sportsperson taking part did so as a product of a team, a global team of sports people, volunteers, organisers, security and the world. A Charisma Nation ensured that these games would not be forgotten and a global driving force took them forward.
The Olympic games has given us a context to make parallels to how we all strive to be better and achieve more. Businesses the world over are aiming higher by believing in a plan and developing a culture where everyone succeeds. In sports it is quite transparent, every action is precise and clear. In business it is maybe not so clear, so what can we learn from the sports field?
Organisations need to design and build clarity and then deliver that to everyone. The quickest and most successful way to do this is to develop the charismatic potential of the leadership team. Those Leadership teams that are successful draw upon the same internal navigation system than that of top sportspeople. Having a clear vision, knowing what they want to achieve and being able to showcase that. A strong driving force will take that vision and engage everyone as part of it. Developing engagement in an organisation is developing followship for every leader. Once you have engaged then you create an energy that everyone continues to be part of. They take the goals of the organisation and make them their own.
The the mind is more powerful than actions alone. I realised a long time ago the value of what the mind can do. As sportspeople see themselves crossing the finish line, scoring a goal or jumping a hurdle then so do successful organisations. Work ethic, dedication, dealing with adversity, collaboration and empowerment are just part of the mix in a highly engaged and successful workforce. Hay group have recently reported on research that shows engagement in organisations has begun to stagnate at 63% and only the most successful organisations can boast over 74% engagement.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games not only managed to deliver high levels of engagement across a mix of 70,000 volunteers and countless workers they also managed to deliver engagement across a nation. The much talked about legacy of the London 2012 Olympic games will not just be seen in our future Olympians but it will be seen as businesses learn from the success and take those learnings forward. The energy created during the games, This Charisma Nation, will live long and business success will take home as many golds.
