Inspired by the talented Ítalo Ferreira, by the fairy Rayssa Leal and by many other athletes (Brazilian or not) I decided to research about these games and their traditions.

By Luiz Gustavo Mariano

Have you ever stopped to think about why the Olympics exist? When did they start to be carried out? Inspired by the talented Ítalo Ferreira, by the fairy Rayssa Leal and by many other athletes (Brazilian or not) I decided to research about these games and their traditions. And I was struck by the similarities that exist between the world of sports and our corporate reality.

The Olympics originated in Ancient Greece and were held in the city of Olympia (hence the name). Citizens from different places gathered to compete in competitions, including racing. At the end of the 19th century, with the aim of celebrating sport and the union between peoples, the Olympic Games of the Modern Era were created. This edition, in Tokyo, is number 32. And, whether on television or on the internet, the disputes and attitudes of athletes teach us several lessons that should be understood by executives and leaders.

One of them: knowing how to lose. What is knowing how to lose? Does it mean not being able to achieve a goal and being resigned? Not. It means understanding what happened, why the opponent (the competition) did better, understanding the context and from there starting again, with your head held high, with the purpose of overcoming obstacles without making the same mistakes.

This is what Ítalo Ferreira did, for example. The potiguar debuted in the main surfing championship in 2015. In 2017, he was in 22nd place. He didn't give up. In 2019, he was the champion. And now he won the gold medal in Tokyo. In other words, it's not about losing, but about knowing how to get up the next day.

A lesson that Ítalo teaches us: we have to have resilience and perseverance.

Sport also shows us that we should never settle. The US women's basketball team debuted in Tokyo on Tuesday (27). They have won the last six Olympic golds. They haven't lost a match in the Olympics since the 1996 Games. But do you think they're satisfied? This Tuesday, they reached their 50th consecutive victory. There are no signs that they are comfortable – because they know that the other teams are improving, there are new players emerging and the competition tends to get more and more fierce.

Especially in team sports, sport is a great example to highlight the importance of good leadership and teamwork. I've seen and read several coaches telling how they motivate their teams. It is important to show how to reach a goal, but a good coach must know when to listen. Rather than just lecture, be seen by athletes as a mentor. Who knows how to speak and who knows how to listen. Furthermore, sport encourages athletes to collaborate with each other, to understand each other's strengths and weaknesses. As in volleyball, in which a pointer or the libero are close to the setter so that the setter is not responsible for receiving the serve from the opposing team.

Finally, sport teaches us an indispensable quality in business: discipline. High-level athletes follow proper nutrition, constantly train, watch their opponents. Without this discipline, there is no talent that makes an athlete reach the podium. You don't have to be ruthless with yourself; you have to understand that if you don't want it, no one will want it for you.

Here are some other lessons that sport can teach us:

Meritocracy: the business is not to belittle those who did less, but in everyone to learn from those who did more and better. And share knowledge to evolve;
Team: fight together and create a virtuous cycle;
Opportunity: no need to lower the bar, but ensure that everyone has the same chances and conditions;
Winning: means leaving a legacy for the next generations, showing what it's worth;
Respect: when you lose, accept that the opponent did better; when you win, welcome the competitor;
Decision making: can be done every microsecond, creating strategies and changing execution; don't get caught up in something that's going wrong.


The Olympics show what we are capable of as a human race, not that we are better than each other.

Sport taught me a lot. I tried to be an athlete, I did a little bit of everything, and tennis was what formed me as a human being. If all Brazilians, of all classes, had the opportunity to learn and experience the sport, our country would be different. Imagine a country that carries the values ​​of sport!

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