"To know thyself is the beginning of all wisdom" - Socrates (or Aristotle...)
photo credit: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/28/simone-biles-diana-nyad-olympics-gymnastics-withdrawal/
Simone Biles. There may be many negative reactions to how things have played out for the US Women's Gymnastics team in Tokyo, but I have nothing but admiration for this strong young woman and her teammates. Simone recognized there was something way off with her focus and ability to orient herself in space. In gymnastics, as in most sports, that is a very dangerous condition. If she would have gotten seriously injured, the conversations would likely follow the theme of "she should've stopped", etc... Well, she did, and now many seem to be allowing their disappointment and frustration to lead their thinking. I have seen it as described as selfishness. But, is it? Thinking about executive functions and self-actualization, I cannot see that it was.
In sports, as in business, a mature and responsible person has to admit when they are not up to the job. The more of an expert you are, the more you understand all the nuances of every aspect of your job. In the press conference, Simone shared that during training she recognized that she had never felt that way physically going into a competition. She monitored her own condition and recognized that dangers of continuing with such unknowns. She knew that there was a definite possibility that she could compete and experience some serious issues which would undermine the confidence and potential of her teammates as well as the possibility of any medal for the US. She made a very difficult decision but a very mature one - similar to a director or CEO reallocating workload when needed to meet an important deadline.
She also handled it like a champ when all the cameras and microphones were on her. No crying, no whining, no drama. her amygdala was not leading the decision making. She appeared to really be applying problem solving and higher level decision making. She focused on her job and her team, and she carried that weight like a leader. Her team also focused on problem solving and working together. Those are strong life skills and needed for leadership. Jordan Chiles totally stepped up. Again, no drama, just focused on the business at hand - and she was enjoyable to watch!
Simone knew herself; that reflects a level of wisdom rather than selfishness. She recognized that she was not the best person for the job at that time and clearly checked with their medical team to confirm, etc... We should keep this in mind. She did not make this decision in isolation. She is not seeking attention; she was leading her team. Perhaps this does not illustrate weakness that will impede opportunities for future competitors; perhaps, it illustrates that athletics is about way more than just showing up and powering through anything. There is way more strategy than those of us who are not athletes may understand. Perhaps, we should recognize this woman's expertise and honor the accomplishments of her teammates. They won that Silver Medal and that accomplishment is admirable. #leadership #mentalhealth #strength #expertise
[**I have been thinking about this quite a bit over the past 36 hours, and wasn't sure how to put my thoughts into words. Developed this post related to participation in a thread on LinkedIn in a post from Daniel Pink with an article https://www.nytimes.com/.../simone-biles-just...]. Their articles are not always accessible to all, so I did some more looking for an article that related for sharing on social media: https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../simone-biles-diana...]
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