Adrie's Blog

Never ever give up

That was one of the sentences from the opening speech at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver which I was watching two nights ago.

The comparison between top sport and entrepreneurship never ceases to amaze me.
Top Athletes have to put body and soul into their work, their training always skirting the borders of what is healthy and what is not. If they do get an injury, they have to fight to come back again, work against ridiculous schedules and deadlines, ensuring to peak at exactly the right moment. They have to face self-doubt "am I good enough, am I ready, how strong is the competition", and never have a moment to lean back and relax.

I have always participated in sports - black belt martial arts, tennis, squash and running the marathon of New York to name a few highlights, but never competed at the highest level. I certainly have the drive an dedication, but probably not the talent. But I know a lot of top athletes my work (on the side) of managing the best waterpolo team in Europe - and am always looking for the parallels between practicing competition level sports and running a company.

Every entrepreneur knows doubt - am I on the right track, will I make it, is my competition not better, faster or cheaper. Do I have money to pay wages this month... one day the world is your oyster, the next everything goes wrong but like with the athletes, you cannot stop and give up. Your environment doesn't always see or recognise all that you have to do to keep the wheels of your organisation turning, or what you have to give up for it. It always looks like it is super easy - which is the true trademark of both a top athlete and a top entrepreneur - it looks simple, even though it is tough.

Like in the highest level sport, you need a mentor/coach that can help you do the right things, a sounding board providing guidance. Talking is very important - even though you have to execute it yourself at the end of the day - with the right trainer or coach you can avoid costly mistakes and increase your mental strength.

BTW I am a huge believer in participating in sports if you are an entrepreneur. A good condition is essential so that you can go that extra mile...

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