Yep, I’ve been glued to the TV for the last 2 weeks, so consumed by the energy and excitement of the 2012 Olympics. But is there a deeper meaning, an understanding, a lesson to be learned from watching supreme athletes who’ve failed no doubt, more times then they’ve succeeded? These athletes failures and successes are being broadcast ALL OVER THE WORLD, and they are still smiling, still trying, still supporting their respective countries like true winners do. But beyond the perfect scores, the tumbling and the backstrokes, I’ve found 6 Business Lessons Entrepreneurs SHOULD NOT ignore.

1. To Win You Need a Dream Team. Have you created your “dream team” ? Even coaches have coaches.  Michael Jordan, Gabby Douglas, and Usain Bolt all have natural, raw talent, but made it to the top because they had someone in place who could guide, teach, and help catapult them to a win. Your dream team can be a mentor, an accountability partner, a business consultant, your lawyer, accountant, or your spiritual leader. No matter who you pick, you need a team. You’re a beast on your own but a force when you’re together.

2. But Everyone MUST Pull Their Own Weight. Every member of the USA Women’s Gymnastics Olympic Team had to put up good scores to win the Gold. Everyone’s 100% effort mattered and counted. It’s imperative that you hold everyone on said “dream team” accountable for not a good, sometimes great, but preferably a consistently AWESOME contribution. Is your current team taking you to the gold? If not, here’s a sample list of who to cut:
1. Negative people.
2. People who aren’t continuing to learn and improve.
3. People who aren’t currently and not striving to be the best at what they do.
4. People who don’t have a can do, no matter what attitude.
5. People who can’t see, won’t see, or support the vision.
6. People who CANNOT or WILL NOT take ACTION.

   This is a short list , but you get the picture. You are totally responsible for the success of your company and your life. There’s only 1 way to get rid of split ends, bad fruit, and dead weight, cut if off……

3. It’s HARD to Root for others when YOU Fail. This is a sensitive subject and no one likes to talk it. But it’s hard, hard to authentically root for others when you yourself have actually failed. But learning how to do it even when you are sad, wondering why it isn’t you, why didn’t you pull the trigger, why you are not in the spotlight, or how you failed after so much practice-it’s all a part of the experience, the growth needed to become a supreme athlete or the best at what you do. It is absolutely impossible to succeed at some things without failing at others. And while you may be at the failing part of your cycle and others are in the winning part of theirs, you can still have and maintain a winner’s attitude and character.  Say congratulations- genuinely, get some rest, then make your plan to work harder, longer, change routes if need be, come back next time  and totally annihilate your competition. Hehe, don’t lie, you’ve had this thought too!

4. Be Confident. Can you imagine going into a contest where you MUST be the best, where your moves are spotlighted, and your every mistake is being replayed right above your head? That’s bullcrap and a hard environment to maintain your confidence. But you MUST. Whether you win or fail, when “they” ask what happened, don’t point out your mistakes, rest assured, your critics already saw them, took a picture and are busy selling the posters. Instead, when “ they” ask what happened, focus on what you DID do right. Tell’em,  “I’m wearing the hell out of this leotard. Did you notice, I can touch the back of my head with my foot? I know I didn’t win, but I HAVE succeeded where so many thought I’d fail. And as long as I have breath in my body, I’m coming back for more”.  Next question……..

5. This is why Mental Toughness is a Must. Once you start to rise, the naysayers will appear. If you haven’t found them yet, you aren’t taking enough risks. There is absolutely NO WAY you can rise to the top without developing an impenetrable, teflon-like, thick skin. It is important to develop a winner’s attitude and trot that thing out whenever you are feeling less than, whenever you want to cry and quit. Even if the only award you deserve is the Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award for the most screwups…… You DID NOT Fail. You just succeeded at the wrong thing. To go along with your winner’s attitude, create a winner’s box filled with all of the nice things said about you, all of your accolades, your journal of all of the times you succeeded, and everything else that makes you WANT to win, so whenever those critics show up, and they will, you can tell them, “What’s up? Been waiting for you”…..

6. Think BIG. You can’t go into the Olympics with small vision. You can’t walk into THAT stadium saying you will try to win.  Can you imagine going into war beside a person who says they will try to stay alive or would you rather the one who says they WILL stay alive?  Try equals making a commitment to fail.  All the gold medalists and some who didn’t even metal went into the Olympics, did EVERY interview, and told their respective countries, This is MY YEAR, I AM Ready, and I WILL Win the Gold. You CANNOT play at the big girl’s level without the most colossal, purpose-filled, moving while scared, life changing, vision. Move forward, change lives, win Gold, Kick AZZ!