usain olympics smile fast

…. time to smile while performing in the fastest race in the world ….

 

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Well.

 

This is about one of the greatest runners of all time, the Olympics … and maybe something we business folk should pay attention to.

 

I didn’t watch much of the Olympics. Mostly only when I was on a stationary bike in the gym and I got to see gobs of fencing, badminton and table tennis <ping pong>.

 

paddle tennis olympicsBy the way.

 

My ping pong game needs a serious upgrade <that was my main takeaway from that viewing experience>.

 

But.

 

I did see one thing I wanted to see … I tuned in to see Usain Bolt run.

He reminded me first and foremost … 9.5 seconds used well is a lifetime.

 

 

Bolt’s ability to own a race is spectacular.

 

Bolt’s ability to own an entire stadium is spectacular.

 

Bolt’s ability to own a moment within the moment is … well … spectacular.

 

To be clear.

He is almost everything I dislike about an athlete. He preens, is cocky, slightly arrogant & clearly loves himself and who he is 110%.

 

And, yet, his personality permits him to own all of it and own my admiration and … well … I like him. He is charismatic on top of crazy fast.

 

His effortlessness in everything he does, personally and athletically, is magical.

 

Shit.

 

His effortless ability to smile even in the tensest moments of competition is magical.

 

The ability to run a 9.69 100 yard dash without even trying <or look like he is trying> is magical.

 

 

It’s the lead. The stride. The perfect form. It’s the grin. It’s the mischievousness.

It’s the fact that he can be racing against eight of the fastest 16 men in the world and have flipped on the cruise control halfway through the race then, just for fun, flash a smile as if the point is to enjoy yourself, not hit the tape first.

 

 

He is magic.

 

But most of all … I figured out why I love me some Bolt … patient quickness.

Make haste slowly.

He embodies what I value most in performance – in Life and professionally.

 

He never rushes … even when he knows the race will be over in less than 10 seconds <think about that for those who worry about getting shit done>.

 

He unfolds at the beginning of a race. He is deliberate and focused and patient.

 

He is willing to give someone else a head start just to make sure that his start is solid and appropriate. He doesn’t worry about who is ahead at the beginning. He is patient. He is slow to speed.

 

As I watch I love it.

 

Just fucking love it.

 

His head is down and he is measuring strides & steps. Worried about himself and no one else.

 

And then. Well. THEN.  At some point his head comes up and … speed.

 

Business people should watch Usain Bolt run.

 

We could all learn something from him and how he runs his race.

 

Jamaica's Usain Bolt gestures in the Men's 100m Semifinal during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 14, 2016. / AFP / FRANCK FIFE (Photo credit should read FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt – FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

We don’t need to preen.

 

We don’t need to be arrogant.

 

We don’t even need to flash that mischievous smile.

 

 

 

But we do need to take note of the combination of patience and speed … in a less than 10 second span.

 

For all we business folk bitch about not enough time to do what needs to be done Bolt reminds us that time is relative and that patience gains you time when used well.

 

I am gonna miss Bolt but I am never gonna forget how he runs his races.

 

Patient quickness … and smiling all the way.

 

We just need to remember there is always time to do things the right way and that maybe we would perform better if we enjoyed performing.

 

And, mostly, we need to remember that even 10 seconds used wisely is a lifetime.

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Written by Bruce