What makes some people truly go for it, set altitude-defying goals, drive themselves hard… and then go harder and further? What inspires the world’s high achievers? How can we apply this ‘X’ factor at home or work? In 2000, some of the best academic, sports and business minds worldwide gathered before Sydney’s Olympics to share research and discuss ‘what makes champions’. The discussions generated give us fascinating insights.
Nelson Mandela, a great champion of the human spirit, opened the inaugural What Makes a Champion?™ event hosted by the Sydney University/Australian National University’s Centre for the Mind, immediately before the Olympics.
It was attended by an array of champions including New Zealand’s Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mt Everest, Australian Nobel Prize winner Professor Peter Doherty, soprano Yvonne Kenny and composer Roger Woodward. Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser was there, as was outstanding Olympic champion (1,500m gold medallist in Rome) and businessman Herb Elliott.
Mr Mandela told the audience and media ‘I was singularly privileged by history and circumstance to have been in a position to make a particular contribution to what has been described as one of the great moral struggles of the last century...That struggle on the part of the people of South Africa achieved championship status amongst the moral endeavours to make of the world a place of freedom, dignity and quality.’
He said that those who were privileged to give leadership to that struggle and gain wider world recognition, only did so by the consent of others.
‘A recognition that no individual achieves and performs in isolation must stand at the heart of our reflections on what makes a champion. To achieve those goals to which one is committed and chose to dedicate one’s life, a belief in yourself is essential. That self-belief becomes vain and egotistical, and ultimately self-defeating, if it does not derive from a dedication to and faith in the common goal. The necessary self-belief of the true leader or champion is tempered by the respect for the broader concerns.’
How can we apply a champion mindset?
I found Mr Mandela’s respect for leadership based on shared goals and collaboration, really intriguing, together with the whole What Makes a Champion?™ event.
Theories advanced included how 'championship' is defined according to a society's definition of 'worth'. One irreverent example was former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke's record as Australian and Oxford University’s champion beer drinker. Champions can apparently exist in areas ranging from the frivolous to the profound.
A compelling question was whether championship has universal elements that can be accessed and identified. What compels the champion writer, humanitarian, artist, or scientist to strive for success with an almost inconceivable drive?
Other questions analysed included whether negative emotions are great motivators? Is appreciation a driving force? The relationship between championship and adversity plays a part, as does the importance of self-belief - paramount in a champion mindset. Are champions simply people who take advantage of 'moments'?
The book and studies flowing on from this international academic project address these and many other questions. What Makes a Champion? Athens 2004 will again bring together champions from across the world, reinvigorating the intellectual face of the Olympic Games by blending sport with culture and education. [What Makes a Champion! - Fifty extraordinary individuals share their insights, Penguin Books, 2002]
Getting lucky in the talent lottery? Mind over matter?
Prior to the event, the Centre for the Mind’s Director, Professor Allan Snyder, gave the first Edwin Flack lecture, initiated by the Australian Olympic Committee to explore mind, body and society - especially relating to sport. Australian Edwin Flack won two gold medals in 1896’s first modern Olympics on top of which he also entered the marathon – collapsing after giving it all he had.
Professor Snyder, recipient of the 1997 International Australia Prize, was chosen by Bulletin/ Newsweek as one of Australia’s 10 most creative minds. At Australian National University, he holds the Peter Karmel Chair of Science and the Mind. He is Professor of Optical Physics and Vision Research and Head of the Optical Sciences Centre. http://www.centreforthemind.com
In his speech, he explored the relationship between sporting and intellectual excellence. Many intellectuals, he stated, are dismissive of the physical, which they conceptualise as separate in structure and function and an unnecessary distraction to the mental.
But compelling research, said Professor Snyder, strongly suggests otherwise. ‘The American neurologist Damasio [Damasio 1994], found decision-making is impaired in patients who lack awareness of their body, concluding that the mind learns
through, and is profoundly influenced by, the body. ‘In other words, we interact with the environment as an ensemble.
So the ancient Greeks had it right. Plato [Douillard 1992] especially advocated physical exercise for developing the spiritual side of life. And the reverse is true – our spiritual side, our mind - is critical for exquisite physical performance. Our mindset strongly influences our performance.
So what isn’t possible?
Does this mean we can employ mind over matter to get whatever we want to go after? Where do procrastination and back-sliding fit in? And the inevitable setbacks real life slyly tosses at us?
Professor Snyder observes that sport doesn't have a monopoly on those who come from behind to win. But as an example, he cites ultra-distance swimmer Susie Maroney, whose many swims include the 200 km marathon from Mexico to Cuba. After her swim, Maroney's long-term coach Dick Caine said: "Susie had no talent whatsoever. She's a little person who couldn't even make a final at a State meet - showing the world that on sheer guts and determination you can do anything you want!"
Professor Snyder said Caine’s sentiment echoes views held by many others - that raw physical talent is not always necessary to be a sporting champion. ‘In intellectual fields, Darwin, Einstein and Edison were very average students whose teachers, even with hindsight, were hard pressed to say something particularly flattering. It certainly would appear that 'raw talent' as we normally define it is not crucial for success’.
So what differentiates champions from the rest of the pack? Professor Snyder believes it is primarily their mindset. ‘Studies [Franken 1994, Ungerleider 1995], show that great achievers often create dreams or visions of exactly what they want to do and how they are going to do it. The role of dreams and mental imagery is legendary for those in the creative arts and sciences [Gregory 1987]. New Manchester University research shows that physical strength can be enhanced by just thinking about an exercise’.
‘Great achievers have a vision that they will succeed and sometimes even see the steps leading to their success. So, in my opinion, what makes a champion, in the broadest sense, is a champion mindset. If you have done something great in one field, you are far more able to do it in another. Your champion mindset is the transferable commodity and not the skill itself. It is our mindsets which ultimately limit our expectations of ourselves and which circumscribe our boundaries. ‘
‘It is our mindsets which determine whether or not we have the courage to challenge others and to expand our horizons.’ Food for thought? And in closing, one of my favourite Mandela quotes:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that frightens us."
- Nelson Mandela
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