Leaders are good sports.

What is sportsmanship?  It is the initial reaction and attitude behind the results in a competitive situation.  ~The Charmm’d Foundation

The 2012 Olympics have come to an end.  I’ll admit I’m not a huge Olympics fan; I didn’t sit glued to the TV watching every competition.  But I did pause for a few moments periodically to watch the young competitors who’ve gone to great lengths to train and sacrifice for what is sometimes a 12-second competition.  Maybe I’ve been less observant during previous Olympics, but this year it seemed like I heard a lot more about sportsmanship than in years past.  And most of what I heard (not all) was emphasizing the incredible acts of good sportsmanship that these athletes demonstrated.

One of my favorite Olympic photos is that of Japan's Aya Miyama comforting France's Camille Abilly.  Natalia Jimenez of NBC News describes the scenario.

It is not often you see players of opposing teams going out of their way to console one another after a game has ended. Their interaction is usually limited to a friendly handshake or pat on the back. 

This image of Japan's Aya Miyama comforting France's Camille Abilly, after Japan defeated France 2-1 in a close semi-final match, stood out from other post-game reaction photos. While we have no way of knowing what words were exchanged between the players (and we can only assume there was a bit of a language barrier between them), their body language speaks for itself. It is clear Miyama took time to try and comfort the distraught Abilly, and Abilly seems to eventually accept her kind gesture. 

In such intense competitions, where emotions run high with adrenaline, it is reassuring to know that these Olympians are not only extraordinary athletes, but show true sportsmanship as well.

I was intrigued by the numerous displays of sportsmanship I was seeing and reading in the news and then wondered how sportsmanship is really defined.  I came across the definition used by The Charmm’d Foundation and it seemed to apply to nearly every personal interaction, whether on the playing field or in the conference room.

I caught myself this past week having an “initial reaction and attitude” that was less than sportsman-like.  It wasn’t part of a formal competition, but it caused me to realize how frequently, and easily, we can turn a workplace interaction into something akin to a competitive sport.  A client was describing an employee interaction and instead of continuing to listen; I reacted and clearly demonstrated an attitude that was not positive.  I allowed myself to get caught-up in the “competition” that had ensued among a number of staff.

I think what impresses me most about many of these athletes is their age.  They are under immense pressure with expectations set before them that are truly of epic proportions.  From being in their young teens and expected to win Gold, to becoming the most decorated Olympic athlete in history!  Yet, being weighed down with all that heaviness, they excel and they have an initial reaction and attitude that demonstrates true sportsmanship.  

May we all learn from these young athletes and exemplary leaders.