An Agile look at the Paris Olympics.

People who follow this blog regularly know I become a red, white, and blue super fan whenever the Olympics rolls around. I will root for my national team, and when I cannot, I find athletes who inspire me to be a better person. Paris 2024 did not disappoint me in this respect. It also taught a few valuable lessons along the way. Today, I will share some lessons the thirty-third Olympiad taught me.

One of the big things I noticed from the opening ceremonies to the competitors is how much the global culture has homogenized. Tattoos are standard on skins of athletes from South America, Africa, and Europe. In particular, a gymnast from Italy may not have won a medal, but his ink attracted plenty of attention online and on broadcast television. Hip-hop and rap culture was everywhere, with Snoop Dog once being a threat to American society and becoming the mascot for Team America. The opening ceremony featured a hardcore rapper rhyming in Gaulic French. Finally, break dancing made its Olympic debut, and while I had no idea what was happening on screen, it was entertaining and showed an athleticism that combined dance and acrobatics. Breaking should become a permanent event if artistic swimming can be in the Olympics. I am partial to baseball and softball becoming permanent events, but that is my bias as an American.

Next, women made a huge impression at this Olympics. Consider me a massive fan of women's rugby star Ilona Maher, who dominated the rugby pitch and social media this Olympics. She is intelligent, rugged, and fierce enough to represent a kind of emerging woman: goal-oriented and intelligent who will not put up with disrespect or mediocre men. As our culture becomes more egalitarian, we will see more women like Maher in the office and public life. We also saw women wrestlers and boxers make an impression at the Olympics. I was especially thrilled to see Sarah Hilderbrandt win gold as she talked about her mental health struggles after the Tokyo games and how she learned to wrestle in boy's clubs because there were no girl's clubs in her community. Today, girls' wrestling is becoming more popular, and more girls are getting involved.

I look forward to a field house or high school in her native Indiana getting named after her.

Speaking of women, a false controversy about boxing overshadowed the event. Imane Khelif won a gold medal in the welterweight division. Right-wing media in Europe said it was an issue of safety and fairness not to let Khelif compete. I suspect that because Khelif does not identify as traditionally feminine, her Algerian heritage spooked plenty of people concerned about maintaining traditional gender roles in society. Khelif struggled in obscurity for eight years to earn this gold medal, and when pressed about the controversy swirling around, she maintained the passionate commitment that all great boxers exhibit. We could use more people with her focus in our organizations.

Finally, Simone Biles won the gold in the all-around and the team event. Biles has been candid about her mental health struggles, and she also was sensitive to critics who called her soft during the Tokyo games. Biles took time off from gymnastics, fell in love, and married. She also decided to return to gymnastics, have fun, and prove her detractors wrong. Biles is the most successful gymnast in American history and belongs to the pantheon of gymnasts like Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci. She has nothing more to prove, and I wish her a happy marriage and a long career as a coach and mentor to women nationwide.

What does any of this have to do with business and software development? The pressures of the global economy are overwhelming, but if you allow people to focus and excel, they will surprise you in ways you do not expect. As a coach or business leader, you must maintain and improve the performance of the people you serve. The traditional carrots and sticks of management will not work as mental health, burn-out, and outside controversies swirl around your teams. The pressure to succeed can become debilitating, and distractions accumulate. It is up to all of us in a leadership role to make a difference as we attempt to unlock the champion in all the people working with us. It isn't easy, but those who do it well will make a difference in the office.

We cannot all be Olympians, but we can follow their examples of dedication, sportsmanship, and excellence. We must pay attention.

Until next time.