Magnetic Authenticity Podcast with Jolynne Rydz

3: What the Olympics can teach us about Peak Performance

• Jolynne Rydz • Season 1 • Episode 3

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What if you could achieve peak performance in your everyday life, just like an Olympian? In this episode, we uncover the secrets of reaching your full potential by exploring the systems and principles that drive top athletes to succeed. From emotional connections to feeling undervalued in your job, we dive deep into personal stories and the broader implications of stress and dissatisfaction, offering actionable insights to harness peak performance for fulfillment, organisational engagement and success.

The journey continues as we explore self-awareness and systems thinking, using Olympic athletes as a shining example. We bring psychologist Tasha Eurich's research to light, revealing the gap between perceived and actual self-awareness, and the importance of continuous self-reflection. Tools like 360-degree feedback processes are discussed to help us understand our behavior and its impact on our own performance and others, fostering personal and professional growth. Discover how empowering both individuals and systems can lead to extraordinary achievements.

Finally, we break down the Olympic system itself, highlighting key elements like reward and recognition, friendly competition, shared focus, and diversity and inclusion. Learn about the significance of meaningful recognition in the workplace and how it can enhance performance. We also introduce the Leadership Circle Profile, a powerful 360 feedback tool that helps identify strengths and areas for growth. Join us to explore how empowering YOU and the SYSTEM is key to unlocking peak performance

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I am a Confidence and Success Coach for leaders, Organisational Development Consultant and independent Leadership Circle Profile® Certified Practitioner. Information shared about this tool is courtesy of Leadership Circle®, all rights reserved. www.leadershipcircle.com

Jolynne Rydz:

Welcome on in to this bonus episode on what the Olympics can teach us about peak performance. Before I get started into how you can level up your peak performance, get into a flow state and really have a bigger impact, I'd love to say a really heartfelt thank you for all the messages people have been sending me about the podcast. It's been so nice to hear how it's been resonating and what's working and what's not. So keep that coming. And this podcast is free. So the best thing you can do if you want to pay it forward is to rate or review the podcast wherever you listen, because that is how we play the game of the algorithms and get it into their podcasts and faces and ears of more people that can tap into their own Magnetic Authenticity. Because I truly believe that if we can do that, when more people are harnessing their own magnetic authenticity, people are going to be happier. They're going to be more fulfilled because they're using their strengths, they're leaning into that, they're going to be more resilient, less stressed. It's going to have a ripple effect. I can feel it deep in my bones. So I would love for you to help out and take part by rating and reviewing wherever you listen to your podcast. I know that Apple Podcasts do it. Spotify allows you to leave a rating and Audible allows you to do ratings and reviews as well. I actually do want to give you a prize to encourage you to give it a go, because you might be thinking, oh, I don't know if I really want to do that or put it out there. It does make such a difference and it makes me feel so incredibly grateful when you do. Let me know how things are going and if you do, what I'd like to do is read out a random review on the podcast and if I choose yours, I'd invite you to ask me a question. So what I'll do is I'll be in contact with you or I'll invite you to contact me, depending on whether you've left your details there or not. So you don't need to leave your details. I'll work out a way to get in touch with you. But what I will give you as a prize is the opportunity to ask a question you have about what's holding you back from having the impact you want to have. So any question that might come to your mind you really wanting to know some insights on, it's really been holding you back for some time. I'll listen to the question and I'll give you a customized tip to help you move forward. So that will be my gift to you for saying thank you for leaving a rating or review. All right, so let's get into today's topic, which is what the Olympics can teach us about peak performance.

Jolynne Rydz:

I've been watching the Olympics for years. I have this memory of sitting around the table together as a family. We would be sitting at the kitchen bench and we'd have this tiny white CRT TV and we would be watching the opening ceremony and it was always so inspiring all of these people coming together to create a performance and the energy that that created, and the celebration of the achievements and the hard work and commitment it took for the athletes to get to where they are and also for the city hosting the event, what it's taken them to prepare for the Games in terms of infrastructure and accommodating all these people coming into their city and being really proud of being a host country, coming into their city and being really proud of being a host country. I always used to love the creativity as well that went into the unique way the flame was going to be lit.

Jolynne Rydz:

Each year there was a sense of excitement and, as an empath, that is one of my strengths. What that means is that I can literally feel other people's emotions, and sometimes even if they're. I can literally feel other people's emotions and sometimes even if they're blocking it or not in tune with it themselves. I can feel what's going on and I can help them through that and help them understand what it is and what it might mean for them and how to use it to their strength. It's one of the strengths I often use when I'm coaching my clients one-on-one. So as I sit there watching these opening ceremonies, I can feel this overwhelming sense of pride, excitement, nerves. Sometimes it actually brings me to tears because the feeling is that strong and I think it's because of that the number of people that are there that have been a part of this wonderful event. It's such a celebration. It's an immersion of people in their peak of their careers, coming together to show their stuff and challenge themselves.

Jolynne Rydz:

I came across this very interesting statistic, which is, according to the independent research done by the IOC, over 3 billion people actually tuned in to watch the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and I find this astounding because that's an incredible amount of people all watching this one event that's come together to give people the opportunity to perform at their best, at their peak. So there's almost this magnetic attraction to peak performance and athletes giving it their best shot. So I wanted to unpack this because I am a true believer that you can take things from a different context and apply them and get some learnings from them. So when I reflect against the Olympics to the everyday world now, let's look at the individual. So that's each and every one of us. Let's look at the individual so that's each and every one of us.

Jolynne Rydz:

I see way too many people stuck in jobs that don't light them up, or maybe jobs that make them feel pigeonholed into doing a certain thing that they started in the job for but they're no longer wanting to do, or maybe it's disregarding the whole history that they've had. I see that often with people who are immigrating and have some challenges in terms of putting their skills to use in our country as well. Maybe it's someone who feels undervalued or stagnant in their career and all of this leads to lower productivity, poorer performance, stress, ongoing stress, sometimes dissatisfaction with what they're doing and really, at the worst end, it can kind of lead to resentment, and I see this a lot with my coaching clients when they first start this, all of these feelings that are heavy and holding them back. Whether it's something that you might have experienced for yourself or someone in your team, I can imagine everyone out there. If you haven't experienced this yourself, you probably know someone who has so as an individual. Sometimes people say, why don't you just get a new job? But moving jobs is not always the answer, because there's a whole lot underneath this. There's a whole lot of mindset, work, belief, work and strategies and capabilities that come comfort levels that come with moving to a new job and also, what do you want? So staying stuck in the job you're currently in isn't necessarily the answer either. It can leave you more out of alignment, it can increase your stress even more, that resentment and that all of that continues, that your confidence drops. It's like this vicious cycle From an organization perspective. So this is the system.

Jolynne Rydz:

Organizations tend to offer learning and development programs. They do engagement surveys and culture initiatives to really track how people are feeling in the organization and how can we get people to want to come to work and want to do a great job. And sometimes these initiatives aren't having the impact that people want them to have, the programs aren't having enough sign-ups or people don't show up. What often can happen is the same serial learners attend all the learning offerings because they love learning. They get it, they know how to use it and implement it. Or you can get the really engaged employees participating in all these initiatives, which is great. You want that, but the ones that need it most sometimes aren't engaging. What this means is that many of us end up far away from our peak state of performance and we're missing out on that joy and satisfaction of being in flow and making the difference we were born to make in the world. What I found from all of my time coaching and working in organizational development in organizations as well, is that empowering you and the system is key to unlocking peak performance. You and the system is key to unlocking peak performance.

Jolynne Rydz:

I recently went to the hot springs. It was really interesting. So there's these beautiful natural hot springs and it's public area, so people come and go as they please. So when someone enters the hot spring that you're sitting in, I noticed a couple of things happen. Sometimes people that were already in that hot spring would get up and leave to create some more space, or maybe they were ready to move on by that point. Or people coming into the hot spring would actually displace water, so the water level would increase and it would hit the overflow and float out of the pool that we were sitting in and float out of the pool that we were sitting in, and anytime someone moved it would create a ripple effect in the water.

Jolynne Rydz:

So you as an individual, and each and every one of us in an organization is no different. We all impact that system with what we do, the way we behave, the way we show up, the way we think, the way we feel All of that has an impact beyond the performance of our job, the technical performance, and this is so, so critical, because I see so many people who are technically good at their role but so, so frustrated as to why they might not be understood or maybe received badly, or have some work, deliver it well in their mind but then have a bad reaction to it. So all of this is about really understanding that impact you have when you hop in the pool. Now, that pool could be a workplace, but it could also be your family. It could be a community that you're a part of as well.

Jolynne Rydz:

So, when you're an employee or a person or a leader, whether you're a former leader or not, it's vital to understand that impact you have on the system and what impact that system has on you. So when you're sitting in that hot springs pool, you can start to get warmer and warmer and warmer and then eventually sometimes you have to hop out, cool yourself down and then hop back in again when you're ready, and I always find that environment really relaxing. So in an organization, you want it to be somewhere where you can go in and feel great while you're in there, but also great as you leave. I think that would be an incredible goal to have. So this is one of the core things that I teach in my coaching programs and workshops is that impact that you can have as an individual, because that's ultimately how you empower someone and you get them to really believe and see that impact that they can have. And sometimes that needs a different perspective, someone else, to help you through that, and it's a true springboard.

Jolynne Rydz:

I love seeing people go oh right, I didn't realize that I was having that impact or I didn't realize the system was having this impact on me and what I can do about it. Now, the Olympics is a great example of empowering you and the system to unlock peak performance. So, even though the Olympics as an event is not perfect in any way I don't believe in perfection, even though I'm a recovering perfectionist, as I sometimes describe myself there's still this incredible magnetism that draws over three billion people to tune in and watch a bunch of people at their peak in their chosen field. So all of what I'm talking about is very much linked with systems thinking, and this is a key skill, a key part of strategic thinking that many organizations want to develop and are looking for and need, because we need leaders and people that can think and see the whole system so we can thrive, especially when we're in an environment, globally, that is increasingly complex and dynamic. It's always and rapidly changing.

Jolynne Rydz:

In 2018, a psychologist named Tasha Eurich did some research with some colleagues from multiple universities in the US, and they did a four-year study with over 5,000 people, and what they found was that, even though 95% of people think they're self-aware, only 10 to 15% actually are. I'll let that sink in. Ah, I'll let that sink in. I think this is one of the core challenges in organizations that I see and with people that are getting frustrated in the workplace is this, and I had a mentor of mine once say to me the moment you think you're emotionally intelligent is the moment you're letting your team down, and that's something that stuck with me for a while the moment you think you're emotionally intelligent is the moment you're letting your team down, and that's something that stuck with me for a while, and I think it talks to this in terms of if you assume that you know everything about yourself and you are completely aware of how you impact the world around you, then you're letting yourself down as well. So self-awareness is critical for understanding the impact you have in a system and making changes that you can then truly influence. I so often have clients come in to me with one perception of themselves in a 360 degree process, which I use with my coaching clients to bring in that awareness of how do they see themselves, but also how are other people around them seeing them and experiencing them, and this tool is incredible because it gives people an understanding of what drives their behavior individually and also as a leader, and also what response they have to people and stress and the environment around them, and this tool then allows us to then explore what's really going on, what's driving all of this, and getting some clarity on how to move forward and how to grow in a really strengths based way, and I've often had people contact me, sometimes years down the track, and explain how life-changing one of our coaching sessions or programs has been. So I'm so incredibly passionate about this stuff.

Jolynne Rydz:

Empowering you and the system is key to unlocking peak performance. If you want to empower you and the system to unlock your peak performance, what can we learn from the Olympics about this? Well, the environment of the Olympics is something where incredible human achievements happen. People from all corners of the globe come together to celebrate and witness people doing amazing feats, smashing Olympic records, world records and just doing things that make you go, wow, did they just do that? Like what? That was incredible. Do you know how hard that is? That's insane. Did they just do that? Wow. There's so many amazing things that happens, and the Olympics is an example of a system. So, and we're all part of a system, like I said earlier, whether it's a family, a workplace or community group.

Jolynne Rydz:

So let's break down what does the system of the Olympics look like and how does it enable and empower that peak performance? So one of the most visible things is reward and recognition. They give medals yeah, gold, silver, bronze and the status that comes around that and the pride as you see the athletes standing on the podium. Have you ever experienced meaningful recognition in your workplace, or maybe a lack of recognition? I'd love you to reflect on what that makes you feel. How does that impact on your performance? Now, recognition doesn't have to be a medal. It could be a comment that someone has. It could be someone noticing the work you've done. At the end of the day, whatever form the reward and recognition comes in, it comes down to a sense of being seen and feeling valued for what you do.

Jolynne Rydz:

Now, the second thing that the Olympics does as a system is it creates an environment for friendly competition. So we're competing to do our best, but when people don't do their best, we're not ostracizing them, we're not teasing them, we're not doing anything negative. We're just going wow, you made an incredible effort to get here. Look what you achieved, even just by entering the Olympics. So people come in on an equal par, regardless of their nationality, and they collaborate in a way, and I always love it when the athletes are really friendly with each other. They're congratulating each other and cheering each other on. It's such a beautiful thing to see and that, I think, is such an beautiful and important part of a workplace. So if you don't have that, my question to you is how can you influence it or how can you find it?

Jolynne Rydz:

The third thing that the Olympics does as a system is it creates this incredible shared focus, so they provide a stage for people to do their best. So think to the caterers that are feeding the athletes, the village and the design of the housing for them, all the logistics of moving those people around, getting them in, getting the viewers in. Even I was contemplating the other day I think I've mentioned earlier, if you've been listening to other episodes of this podcast I love video editing as a hobby. It's so, so much fun. But just thinking when you watch the broadcast of all the people that are cutting together that footage which camera, which angle they're going to, which event they're going to next, cutting in the audio of the commentators, and then all of the things that go around, that that's, that's a lot of stuff. And then the stadium, the design, the uniforms, even the Australians, and how they've had that famous, really technical swimsuit that gave them an advantage for many, many years. There's so many people and things all focused on peak performance and that's incredibly powerful. That focus, focus. Now the fourth thing that they do in the system, and there's many more, but I wanted to highlight these four because I think they're really critical and also really applicable in the workplace and beyond.

Jolynne Rydz:

So the fourth thing is diversity and inclusion, and this may be controversial because it's by no means perfect. We know that they've been making steps forward each year, from women joining the Olympics in the 1900s, in 1960, the Paralympics beginning. I didn't realise, as I was doing research for this podcast episode, that it wasn't until 2012 that women were allowed to compete in all events of the Olympics. So that's interesting. And from 2024, they're spouting that there's gender parity, and I'm curious to know what that truly means, and it's potentially something around binary gender parity being there at the Olympics. So the key point with the diversity, inclusion is that there's pregnant. Let me try that again. The key point about diversity and inclusion is that there's progress over ignorance. Progress over ignorance is key. I know sometimes things aren't perfect, but progress is better than no progress. So that's some of the things that the system can bring I wanted to talk to you about the individual again.

Jolynne Rydz:

When we empower you and the system, it's key to unlocking peak performance. So you as an individual, you and I one of the things that's really clear in the athletes is their incredible commitment to growth. So the BMX freestyler was watching that event and they do some crazy tricks on the bicycle, but it's a 60 second run. So in that 60 seconds I saw one of the riders come off in the first 10 seconds of their run. So they've spent four years at least four years, probably more so they've spent four years at least four years, probably more definitely a lot more training to be an Olympian and in the first 10 seconds they can come off and their whole lead up and preparation is gone. That's something that takes a lot of resilience to come to terms with and use in a positive light, moving forward. So it's a real commitment to almost going in there with a hope of doing a great job but being okay when things don't go to plan.

Jolynne Rydz:

The second thing that they do at an individual level is the ability to have fun. I was watching the gymnastics and there was a really interesting contrast between actually some of the reactions of one of the BMX coaches in particular. When their athlete came off the bike and actually had a crash, they actually bent down and they slammed their hand on the ground in anger. And now this person was lying there and my first thought was are they okay? So it was interesting to see that reaction because there was so much commitment and persistence in there. So, as a leader, I'm going off tangent a little bit here, but having an awareness of what message that action sends is critical. Because I read into that action of wow, you're more focused on the gold medal than the well-being of your athlete and I don't know, it's probably an in the moment reaction, but it's really important that coach and you as an individual can realize, if you do something like that, how it comes across. Hey, everyone, it's future me again. I just didn't want to leave that loop open that the athlete that I was talking about. They actually were okay. They got up about a minute later and they were fine. They were able to walk off the course, so they were fine.

Jolynne Rydz:

Back to the podcast. So I wanted to bring this back to the Japanese gymnasts. When I saw one of them doing their routine, they made a couple of mistakes, like fell off. The beam actually completely fell off, did some stumbles, they came off after finishing their routine beaming. They were just so happy to have been there and done their best and were okay with knowing that. Well, you know, they made some mistakes. There's always next time, or maybe that they're happy with that as an achievement, whereas other people around were being incredibly hard on themselves when they make the tiniest mistake. And I'd love for you to reflect on how do you respond when you make a mistake? What's your self-talk that's going on, and how does that impact then your performance? Does it take you out of that peak performance state, or is it something that you actually help and use to help you continue your performance and growth in future?

Jolynne Rydz:

Now, the third thing that I have seen at the individual level is the incredible passion that these athletes have. You know, without passion and without commitment, it's very unlikely that they would reach that level. If they did, I'd imagine they'd actually be incredibly unhappy, because to work that hard for something, you need that energy of passion, and I think passion is something that we should be measuring in organizations, because it's so key to someone being able to do their best, really work hard when things need to be worked hard and be satisfied, but also have enough energy to not feel like they're being drained or overwhelmed or run dry. So passion is so incredibly important and I'd love to know whether you are passionate about what you do in your workplace and the impact that you're able to have. So empowering you and the system is key to unlocking peak performance. One without the other doesn't have the same impact.

Jolynne Rydz:

So if we took the athletes away from the Olympics, if we took away the commitment, the passion and the fun that these athletes had and it became an obligation, does that sound like something? Maybe an obligation, a workplace, a contract that you have an employment agreement? If it's only the obligation, it can feel incredibly draining to show up and that works against you, it works against engagement, it works against learning, it works against being in flow and it works against peak performance. So that commitment, passion and fun is critical from the individual, now from the system. If we took the system away from the Olympics, people would lack a platform to come together to build that shared sense of learning, of growth, of achievement of identity. Even belonging People are. You see some of the athletes tattooing the Olympic rings. It's like they've joined a club of people who've achieved that level in their sporting careers.

Jolynne Rydz:

So I trust that you can see how empowering you and the system is key to unlocking peak performance, and what I'd love for you to walk away with from this episode is an awareness and hope that you are actually more powerful than you know, a desire to unlock your full potential and have an incredible impact on the systems you find yourself in. So when each of us do this, I truly believe we can create a world where everyone thrives and makes a meaningful difference. If you're keen to understand more about how you best can influence and impact those around you, whether that be your team, your workplace, your family, your community, I'm a certified leadership circle profile practitioner and this is a thoroughly evidence-based 360 feedback tool, arguably one of the most heavily based ones out there. There's decades of research behind it and it's designed to bring deep self-awareness to what your strengths are, how they are serving you and those around you, and how they are holding you back and your performance back. So I do this for individuals.

Jolynne Rydz:

I do this for whole teams and if you're curious to know more about it, I'm going to put a link in the show notes where you can book a time to have a free chat with me and just see if it's something that would work for you. We can explore it together and see what would fit. And I've truly become obsessed with using this tool because uncovering people's hidden talent and roadblocks so you can have the impact you know deep down you can make is so incredibly rewarding. So if you want to connect, please check out the link in the show notes, or if you can't find that, because not every podcast platform has show notes, you can find me on LinkedIn under Jolynne Rydz and you can connect with me and send me a DM there. So until next time you were born for a reason, it's time to thrive.

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