If you ask any young athlete what their goals are, there are varying responses. Many may give the obvious response which is “to be the best I can be.” Such an answer isn’t always convincing and may indicate that the individual is unsure of a pathway and may still be trying to discover themselves.
Then there are those who at a formative age, have set very high expectations for themselves. If you asked any of these youths what their goals were, without hesitation, each would respond, “to be number one in the world.”
If you follow the journeys of several of the top-performing athletes both past and current, you would see that they all knew what they wanted over the long term. They have their sporting life mapped out, sometimes even before they enter the professional circuit.
“Everybody has the same dreams. The most elite are different because they have shifted their perception, and in their minds, the outcomes are real before they happen,” Kumar Mehta wrote in Forbes.
Despite their tender age, the future champions are noticeably different. They have an unmistakable aura, according to Mehta. They walk with confidence; they look you in the eye, have clarity of purpose, know precisely what they want to achieve, and are committed to getting there. These are the people who become champions in their sport and continue to excel well after their playing career is behind them.
It was said that David Beckham knew he wanted to be a professional footballer but he also had his sights on becoming a global superstar and creating a brand that would continue beyond his playing career. Michael Jordan likewise.
There are powerful characteristics that are common amongst great athletes and business leaders. Great business leaders and athletes alike know you have to be willing to make mistakes in order to grow and ultimately succeed. Just ask Jordan.
I tried to come up with a list of current-day successful athletes from the Caribbean who can be classified similarly. Dwayne Bravo comes to mind. Yes, Brian Lara is still extremely popular and will never lose the titles that he rightfully earned. Usain Bolt is another name up there. But for me, Bravo stands out for more reasons than one.
Great executives have to be willing to be accountable for company mishaps. Passing the buck is a sign of weak leadership. Athletes are no different, after losing a nail-biting game, the great athletes will take the blame for a loss, doing so with several microphones in their face.
Bravo matured into one of these over the past few seasons. The decision to take up a new challenge with the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots was a massive risk. For successful individuals such as Bravo, composure is another highly underrated trait. Successful executives are no different. When it's time to perform, they buckle down and focus, knowing the pressure they face is only going to make their work better.
Athletes such as Bravo are today’s gladiators. They work diligently when no one is watching, perform majestically at sporting pinnacles, stay focused as fierce competitors, and inspire everyone to dream and pursue greatness. A great quote isn’t it.
High performers are generally restless people. Cristiano Ronaldo is more than a footballer. He and other high performers work this way because they are continually looking to source the next best thing. And like Bravo, they are the ones who are never content to just stay where they are, but instead seek out new challenges, present with new ideas and push themselves towards the next achievement.
Adaptability is one of the backbones of a high performers success strategy. Both in business and sport, being adaptable and open to change is imperative for performance and success. Bravo demonstrated that when he was introduced to India and boy did they accept our boy with open arms, becoming a household name among Indian cricket fans.
The Santa Cruz boy saw a massive opportunity and scope for music artists in both India and the Caribbean and has openly spoken on how much it drives him to do more musical collaborations with Indian artists in the future.
In sports, it’s essential to overcome the challenges of change as nothing is ever certain, from rules and opposition to the people on your team. It continually changes and the reality is, you must also adapt too. Like Bravo, you will find that by increasing awareness and allowing room for growth and change, you’ll discover the benefits of long-term, sustained success.
“Everyone has the fire, but the champions know when to ignite the spark.” – Unknown.
Shaun Fuentes is the head of TTFA Media. He was a FIFA Media Officer at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. The views expressed are solely his and not a representation of any organisation. shaunfuentes@yahoo.com