Leadership Lessons from winning, elite athletes – Mary T. O’Sullivan

By Mary T. O’Sullivan, MSOL

Leadership Lessons from Winning Elite Athletes:  Analyze Mistakes, But Without Blame

“It’s only when they lose that most people start to dig deep.” Toto Wolff

When Toto Wolff assume the leadership role at the Mercedes Formula One Team, he knew he had the right engineering, manufacturing, and driving talent. What needed to change was the team’s culture. Culture change is difficult in any organization, and it’s even more essential when millions of dollars and the team’s reputation are both on the line. Toto Wolff immediately instituted his six principles of leadership, which led to 8 consecutive Formula One wins since 2013. 

1. Set high standards

2. Put people first analyze mistakes—even when winning

3. Foster an open, no-blame culture

4. Trust superstars but maintain authority

5. Relentlessly battle complacency.

In my last column, we explored the first two principals and their impact on a winning team, and this week, we’ll dive into the power of a no-blame culture and relentlessly battle complacency.

Foster an Open, No-Blame Culture

            How often have you seen mistakes made and the finger pointing immediately begins? One place I worked famously found scapegoats for every misstep. One director I knew realized he was in trouble when his colleagues sitting around the conference table all began physically moving away from him as a Vice President showed disapproval for a project. No one wanted to be associated with the taint (or smell) of an error on their record. People involved with an errant project automatically became associated with the odor of failure. The stigma stayed with that person until they left the company or until a new management team arrived. 

            Conversely, a good leader acknowledges mistakes, and helps his team learn from them. A Hall of. Fame high school lacrosse coach in analyzing a state championship loss made no excuses. Even though his team stood in the blazing sun for most of the game, the coach felt that there were lessons to be learned from the mistakes made during the game. The sun was a factor, but Coach insisted that tactical and mental slips cost the team their win. Those errors were what he noted for the following year’s season. He focused on what could be changed, not what was out of their control.

            It’s also part of the Mercedes Formula One culture to analyze what they did right in a win. They want to delve into detail about what helped the team be successful. The team is brought together after each race and everyone has a say in breaking down the win, like an NFL quarterback watching films of the winning games, as well as the missteps that took place during the game. They want to repeat what was done well, while avoiding the blame game, and making each event a learning opportunity.

Relentlessly Battle Complacency

            When you win a lot, it’s easy to sit back on your laurels. However, in a winning culture, there’s no room for complacency. Winners stay in the mode of continuous improvement. Think of those repeat Olympic champions like Michael Phelps, winner of 8 Olympic gold medals. His uncompromising workouts demonstrate his completive drive and love for the sport. He was not willing to relax his work ethic after achieving the pinnacle heights of the sport. 

Toto Wolff states that “you can never believe that the winning will continue.” The team works harder now than they did prior to their first win in 2013 to keep their skills fresh. A winner can never forget that the other competitors are also very good and are working hard every day to beat their rivals. The winning culture showed up in that Hall of Fame lacrosse coach’s daily practices. Even though his team was a perennial state champion, their practices were hours long, and grueling. They jogged a few miles to the local church parking lot when the season began in early spring. Each player was required to carry his own equipment plus a snow shovel. When they arrived at the church parking lot, they were told to shovel off the pavement before they could begin their drills. Once practice was over, they jogged back to the locker rooms, snow shovels in tow, regardless of the weather. If the players wanted to attend their proms, they were required to show up for practice the next day at 7:30 AM. Tough, but they went on to win the state championship 13 times in a row.

To be a winner, you can never let your guard down. Take nothing for granted. Work hard to perfect your skills. Winning is contagious. Once the tone is set by leadership, everyone will fall in line to grasp the brass ring or hold the trophy high in the air.

“If you have won several times… you become the one being chased. You are no longer the hunter—you are the prey—but you want to keep the hunter mentality alive.” – Ola Källenius, Chairman, Mercedes Benz

Connect with Mary:

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/marytosullivan/

https://www.encoreexecutivecoaching.com

https://www.visionaryleaderbook.com

[email protected]

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Read all Mary’s columns here: https://rinewstoday.com/mary-t-osullivan-msol-pcc-shrm-scp/

Mary T. O’Sullivan, Master of Science, Organizational Leadership, International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach, Society of Human Resource Management, “Senior Certified Professional. Graduate Certificate in Executive and Professional Career Coaching, University of Texas at Dallas. Member, Beta Gamma Sigma, the International Honor Society. Advanced Studies in Education from Montclair University, SUNY Oswego and Syracuse University. Mary is also a certified Six Sigma Specialist, Contract Specialist, IPT Leader and holds a Certificate in Essentials of Human Resource Management from SHRM.