At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, the stage was set for Derek Redmond as he was favored to win the gold in the 400 meter race. Four years earlier in the Seoul Olympic competition, Redmond was forced to pull out of the opening round of the 400 meters due to an injury to his Achilles tendon. In the 1991 World Championships, Redmond was a member of the British team that that won the gold medal beating the American team and registering what was then, the second-fastest race time in 4×400 history. Although Redmond had undergone a number of operations due to injuries prior to the 1992 Olympics, he was recovering well, growing stronger and more confident. In the first round of the “92 Olympics, Redmond posted the fastest time and later won the quarter final. Finishing well in the semi-final round would put Redmond in position to compete for the gold.

At the sound of the gun, the racers sprinted out of the starting blocks and Derek Redmond was off to a good start. With his sights set on finishing strong and approximately 250 meters from the finish line, Redmond’s hamstring in his right leg suddenly tore sending him into excruciating pain and ending his dream of an Olympic gold medal in track and field. As he watched the other sprinters cross the finish line and medical personnel coming to his side, Redmond stood up and began hobbling toward the finish line himself. Struggling to make it, clearly disappointed and in agonizing pain, Redmond continued his journey toward his goal. Suddenly, out of the stands, a man began pushing his way through security onto the track and beside the hobbling sprinter. That man was Derek’s father, Jim Redmond who said to Derek, “You don’t have to do this,” to which Derek replied, “Yes, I do.” The elder Redmond said to his son, “Then we’ll finish this together.” Before a crowd of 65,000 spectators who were now on their feet, Derek Redmond finished the race with the man who had been by his side all of his life.

Disappointments Happen

How many times growing up and bemoaning an unfair situation did we hear a parent say, “Life’s not fair, get used to it.” Disappointments are going to happen. You may lose a long-time key account, miss out on closing a big deal, lose an exemplary employee to a better opportunity, or miss out on a promotion you hoped for. During a time of disappointment, it’s important to keep from allowing anger, bitterness and resentment to set in. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

It’s kind of like the story of the successful businessman who was in his office one day when a friend stopped by and began lamenting about all the problems and challenges he was facing. The businessman drove his friend out to the local cemetery and as they surveyed all the headstones, the businessman said to his friend who was down and out, “These are the only people in this town that don’t have any problems… or opportunities.”

Delays are not Denials

In his pursuit of a gold medal, Derek Redmond not only experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, but he also experienced the frustration of delay. Injuries, surgeries, and healing time all caused there to be a postponement in his timeline. Most of what Derek had to deal with was out of his control. In business, and in life, delays can happen that are out of our control, but occasionally, delays happen as a direct result of our actions. Indecision, fear of failure and/or lack of preparation can cause delays in the results we hope to see. We must continue to move forward, work toward our goals and sometimes, we simply need to be patient. There is a reward for those who patiently endure. Aristotle is even quoted to have said, “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”

Demonstrate Courage and If Need Be, Lean on Others

Whether personally or professionally, life can sometimes deliver a staggering blow causing disappointment, delay, distress, discouragement, and defeat. While it can be difficult in that moment, we have to remain committed to achieving our goals and find the courage to continually work to cross the finish line. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “It’s hard to fail, but it’s worse to have never tried to succeed.” Redmond’s struggle in the 1992 semi-final later became the subject of one of the International Olympic Committee’s ‘Celebrate Humanity’ videos, which proclaimed “Force is measured in kilograms. Speed is measured in seconds. Courage? You can’t measure courage.”

When watching the video of this situation play out, you can’t help but to notice Derek’s initial reaction to his father’s attempt to help him. Derek can be seen pulling away until he recognized it was his father who was coming along side to help. Upon recognizing his father and his own need for assistance, Derek was willing to receive the support offered by his dad.

At times we all need a little help. Be willing to allow others to come along side and assist, encourage and challenge you to achieve your best.

Photo credit: The Guardian

The Choluteca Bridge, located in Honduras, is also known as the Bridge of Rising Sun. The bridge was built by Hazama Ando Corporation between 1996 and 1998 and became the largest bridge constructed by a Japanese company in Latin America.

In the same year the bridge was commissioned for use, Honduras was hit by Hurricane Mitch, which caused considerable damage to the nation and its infrastructure. Many bridges were damaged while some were destroyed, but the Choluteca Bridge survived with minor damage. While the bridge itself was in near perfect condition, the roads on either end of the bridge had completely vanished, leaving no visible trace of their prior existence. More impressively, the Choluteca River (which is several hundred feet wide) had carved itself a new channel during the massive flooding caused by the hurricane. It no longer flowed beneath the bridge, which now spanned dry ground. The bridge quickly became known as, “The Bridge to No Where.” In 2003, the bridge was reconnected to the highway.

The Choluteca Bridge was strong, firmly anchored and immovable. While these are the qualities one hopes for when driving over a bridge, are these the qualities one looks for in today’s leaders?Le

Leaders Know, In an Ever Changing World, Change is Bound to Happen

Much like what occurs in nature, due to nature, things have a tendency to change, even when you think it won’t. Change can be difficult to adapt to, however, change is going to happen. Baby Boomers can remember the days of rotary phones attached to a wall. Back then, a mobile phone was when you had a long cord attached to the receiver which enabled you to take the phone into another room for what you thought was privacy. Today, technology and the way of doing business change much more rapidly. Like a river that can carve itself a new channel, life, projects and leadership are fluid and can change directions in the blink of an eye. Be ready and willing to accept and work with inevitable change. When necessary, be the change agent.

Leaders Are Firm but Flexible 

The dichotomy of the Choluteca Bridge and Choluteca River is one worth comparing. While the bridge itself remained firmly anchored, which is what one hopes for when commuting over such a structure, the river, by way of a storm, found a different route to continue its forward progress. Sometimes the storms of life can cause us to re-think our goals and how we attain them. After Hurricane Mitch moved through the area, the bridge had become obsolete while the river found a new path. Leaders need to be flexible enough to know when and how to administer change, otherwise they will become obsolete.

Leaders Are Anchored in Core Values

In an ever changing world, core values are a constant. Core values define what we stand for. The values we live by are not simply a mission statement or a job description but the essence of who we are. While difficulties and challenges may cause us to re-think certain goals and objectives, the storms of life don’t cause us to abandon our core values.

In Valladolid, Spain, where Christopher Columbus died in 1506, stands a monument commemorating the great discoverer. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the memorial is a statue of a lion at the base of it where the Spanish National Motto is engraved. The lion is reaching out with its paw and is destroying one of the Latin words that had been part of the Spain’s motto for centuries. Before Columbus made his voyages, the Spaniards thought they had reached the outer limits of earth. Thus, their motto was, “No More Beyond.” The word being torn away by the lion is, “No,” making it read, “More Beyond.” Columbus had proven that there was indeed “more beyond.”

While many in that day thought they had reached their fullest potential and had gone as far as they could go, Christopher Columbus came along and pushed the limits even further. His willingness to step outside the comfort zone and take risks encourages us to apply 3 leadership principles to our lives, teams and organizations.

There’s More to Achieve if You Dare to Dream

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Set goals and consistently work toward achieving them. Let what’s happened in the past help to motivate you toward achieving success and not become an excuse as to why you can never make it happen. Dream it and pursue it. You’ll be amazed at what can be done and what can be achieved.

Accepting, “No,” as the Final Word Limits Success

Anyone who has done a tour in professional sales knows it takes overcoming 6-7 “no” responses from a potential customer in order to get the desired, “yes” answer. Many a salesperson has walked away after hearing “no” one time only to leave the sale to a more determined competitor.

Sadly, we often tell ourselves “no” before we get started in a new venture, writing a book, going for that big account, starting a business, expanding a product line, launching a non-profit organization or believing we’re deserving of success. Had Columbus subscribed to the Spanish National Motto and believed there was “No More Beyond,” he would have never been willing to take the risk necessary to achieve success. The word “no” leaves us with a choice, to accept it as the final word or an invitation to think differently.

Jose Ortega y Gasset said, “The stone and tiger have no choice of life: the stone must gravitate and the tiger must pounce. Only human beings are faced with the mind-blowing responsibility of having, at each and every moment of their lives, to choose what to do and what to be. It is both a necessity and an invitation.”

No Deposit, No Return – No Risk, No Reward

Back in the day, people used to pay a deposit on their beverage bottles because they were so expensive to produce. Bottlers used a deposit-refund system which motivated people to return the bottles after use, in return, the consumer received their deposit back. As time went on and bottles became less expensive to produce, the words, “No Deposit – No Return” began appearing on bottles. No extra effort was required on the part of the consumer to get some of their investment back.

The “No Deposit, No Return” principle can be applied to many different areas in life. No investment at the gym to lift weights or do cardio workouts, no personal health benefits; no investment in education, no advancement in one’s career; no time invested in others, no leadership development.

At times it’s necessary to take risks whether in one’s personal or professional life. Blind leaps of faith are not the only requirement to achieving reward and success. Most often times, “risk” decisions are made after thorough research and information gathering has occurred. Calculated risks can minimize negative outcomes but cannot always guarantee it. That’s what risk is about.

As William H. Shedd once said, “A ship is safe in the harbor, but that is not what a ship was built for.”