The term corporate athlete has been widely used for almost 20 years now. There have been lectures made, courses taught, and institutes formed, all with the aim of enhancing human performance in the workplace. This concept is nothing new and major companies like Johnson & Johnson have embraced it since 1979 by investing to help employees thrive through innovative health and wellness programs. The strategy behind such investments was simple, to create a win/win outcome. When people feel mentally, physically, and spiritually strong, they perform better both inside and outside of the office; which means everybody wins.
If corporations like Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Merrill Lynch, and many others all had the right intentions for the past several decades, then why do so many employees consider themselves as struggling or suffering today? I address this issue in my book Welcome to the Big Leagues and include necessary variables to the wellness equation like Personal Finance and specific Occupational criteria, all geared to promote sustained success in almost any work environment. My belief is if the wheels fall off in any one key area of life, then everything else suffers to some degree; which makes in nearly impossible to reach full potential. Corporate Athletes not only understand this, they have developed a winning mindset and strategy to consistently thrive under intense pressure, as opposed to merely just survive under it. Listed below are five key tips to help condition you to do the same ...
Confidence
Self-confidence is the key ingredient that all great athletes and champions possess. In corporate America, to have any chance at success, employees must believe in themselves the way professional athletes do. Granted, those in the business world won't have a plethora of fans to help fuel a grand persona, and a workday doesn't have closure marked by a loss or victory. Business careers can be very thankless. You won't receive a medal or trophy, and colleagues may be hardpressed to ever give a pat on the back. This provides further reinforcement why all strength must come from within. Employees must keep a positive mental attitude and absolutely never place limits on themselves. If you believe there are many things you cannot do well, just imagine what your colleagues are thinking? Confidence comes through hard work, experience, and demonstrated success/driving results. Athletes sustain it with good coaching and physical training, whereas you must hold yourself accountable to learn more, do more, and be more, while embracing the trust that you can.
Resiliency
Great athletes possess the self-determination and mental toughness to quickly bounce back from failure and so should you. In the business world there are only two things constant; change and pressure. Unfortunately each can pack the force of a mega whirlpool and keep the weak down. For this reason, you should never let the things you cannot control weigh on you. Let the thirst for knowledge and personal development act as the protective mechanism you need to succeed. When we learn from our mistakes, and the mishaps of others, we become stronger and wiser. This helps us to overcome adversity, bounce back, and remain resilient over time. Never be intimidated by the hurdles in your way, prepare for them, learn from them, and fight to soar past them. After every fire extinguished, let something new and bigger inside you flourish.
Consistency
For any athlete consistency is probably the most difficult thing to develop, as it requires intense focus, discipline, and commitment. Performing consistently only starts by obtaining the awareness of how to practice perfectly. Coaches and mentors can both assist with training, but it's ultimately up to each individual to put forth the hard work it takes to succeed. Knowing what to do is the easy part, staying on course each day is a completely different story. Anyone can perform like an all-star when times are good, but only a key few can perform or even think consistently when the crap hits the fan. If professional athletes, who compete among the best in the world, can choke under pressure, then Corporate Athletes can too. For this reason we must condition our minds to properly control and stabilize our emotions throughout any erratic swings within the work environment. Those with heightened levels of self-awareness, who believe almost all problems start from within, have the leg up on obtaining such behavioral skills.
Business Sense
Good managers know how to utilize the strengths of their employees. Some even encourage employees to only focus on the things they do very well. Even though receiving such a privilege feels right, understand that true champions always push themselves outside of comfort zones, work incredibly hard to face fears, and exercise the patience to improve weaknesses. Just because one of your shortcomings isn't in play today, doesn't mean that it won't hold you back tomorrow. In fact, I can almost guarantee you that it will. It's okay to let your boss or anyone who wants to tout your strengths do so, but never let this blind your ambition to improve upon those areas that need work. At the end of the workday, we are only worth the skills we possess, so be sure to protect your blind side by building those competencies necessary to take your career where you want it to be.
Respect
I cannot emphasize the importance for Corporate Athletes to respect the game, the players in it, and most importantly themselves. Respect builds, where a lack of it kills. When the culture lacks respect negativity forms, as employees undermine each other, throw bricks, escape accountability, and harbor information. Be reminded of American politics where many democrats do not respect republicans and vice versa. The constant bickering causes the entire country to stagnate and everybody loses. Corporate America is no different. For work environments to thrive, employees must be willingly to give unconditionally without ever expecting to receive anything in return.
Respect breeds intrinsic motivation; which fosters humility, drives employees to engage, and teams to gel. When employees work as cohesively as the players of a World Series champion team, outperforming the competition is imminent. Remember that respect starts from within and only spreads from there if you let it. Pride yourself on being your personal best and always help colleagues to do the same. If you consistently embrace the full power of respect, you will likely finish your career on top just as many others have already demonstrated.
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