While the similarities between rowing and sales may not be readily apparent to most people, they are abundant. Although I never competed in the Olympics, I participated in three World Championships between 2009 and 2011 and lived at the Olympics Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. After hanging up my oar, I migrated to San Francisco and worked at companies such as Square and PayPal under the tutelage of visionaries such as Jack Dorsey. I am currently serving as the senior vice president of global sales at Gupshup, a conversational cloud platform.
I thought I was in for a huge culture shock going from the water to Silicon Valley, but the learning curve was not that steep. The same things that make for a winning team make for a successful company. Both arenas demand synergistic teamwork, steady focus and the ability to persevere above adversity.
Group cohesion
I cannot overstate the significance of a tight-knit group; it is the driver behind every incredible feat. In the NBA, for example, intangibles such as ball chemistry and unified defense determine who hoists the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the season rather than which team looks better on paper. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James lost multiple times in the playoffs to the Duncan-Parker-Ginobili-led Spurs because, on those squads, everyone knew their role and played it to a T. I spent countless hours with my teammates working on the most minute details in order to understand their rhythms and become one moving entity on the water.
Having one or several high-performing individuals on a team is not enough to see success in this hyper-competitive world; it must be embedded into the company’s DNA and trickle down to everyone. A study by McKinsey found that teams with robust levels of collaboration can increase their productivity by up to 25%.
How is this type of environment fostered, you ask? It’s not about somehow predicting whether individuals will be compatible colleagues in the hiring phase or even necessarily encouraging coworkers to be friends out of the office (although team bonding isn’t a negative). It’s more about executives and managers clearly communicating goals and roles, building trust and respect, providing adequate resources and leading by example.
Navigating personalities
Effective delegation is paramount for any manager aiming to optimize team performance and foster growth. However, leaders must handle this delicately. I’ve learned that when it comes to telling someone something difficult, it’s not what you say but how you say it. Working on a team requires considering feelings, taking accountability and prioritizing the success of the group first. When done right, it is the perfect marriage between individual excellence and a thriving organization.
While one may think that they would excel at or deserve to be the coxswain in rowing or account supervisor on a sales team, the decision-makers may believe that the overall team is better off with them serving another role. This can be incredibly frustrating and disappointing for the individual. Being on a team requires sacrifice, and personal setbacks should not discourage someone from continuing to work on their skills and being supportive of others. Any positive corporate culture will offer avenues for professional growth and make sure every member of the team feels valued and appreciated.
Trust the process
A quote I love about the Olympics is “It’s not every four years; it’s every day.” The achievements are glorious, but the work to get there is anything but. The secret to success lies in meticulous attention to detail and mastering each essential component. Rowing strokes must be precise, coordinated and well-executed, just as every move in the marketplace must be informed, strategic and also well-executed. In sports and business, the aim should be to take steps to improve every day, not to fixate on the end-of-the-tunnel, final destination.
As a former US national team athlete, I’ve noticed how executives and managers can become too obsessed with metrics to the detriment of the team’s morale. They impose unrealistic benchmarks instead of focusing on easily implementable actions that will improve performance or how to inspire individuals. The difference between a good company and a great one lies in cultivating a supportive and efficient team. The results come later.
Dealing with adversity
It’s easy to promote a positive culture when things are going well. It’s hard to remain disciplined in this area when struggles emerge, which inevitably will happen. During a losing streak, personalities clash, and it often turns into the blame game. This is when leaders need to make their presence known and right the ship. It is in these moments where the company culture must shine through, because the only way through adversity is by staying close and improving together.
A study by Gallup found that employees who work in teams with high levels of trust and collaboration are more likely to be engaged and have higher job satisfaction. A culture built on fear and unhealthy competitiveness only causes burnout and makes people mistake-prone. The core of my leadership style at Gupshup has always been to seep trust and synergy on the micro-level in small groups and have it permeate throughout the entire organization.
Building successful teams in sports and companies is marked by shared values, such as teamwork, accountability, focus on processes and perseverance. I’ve seen how these components manifested in both my time as a rower and in the tech world. While the path to success is filled with setbacks and challenges, it’s the commitment to personal improvement and being a solid team player that leads to the gold.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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