Staying with the sporting metaphors for one more blog, it struck me how different were the skills and personalities of the sprinters and the long-distance runners during the London Olympic Games.
The sprinters needed a very fast, immediate response to the starting gun, a huge burst of energy and complete focus on getting to the finish line as quickly as possible. Usain Bolt's lively, upbeat and restless personality seemed completely right for his chosen sporting event. On the other hand, Mo Farah showed unbelievable patience at the start of the 5000 metres, maintaining a slow but steady pace behind most of the pack, but keeping a careful watch on his rivals. He reserved his energies and it wasn't until almost the end of the race that he pushed forward and put his full power into getting to the finish line.
Sometimes in organisations we reward and recognise the stars, the high profilers, and the people who are on the fast track to success. We don't give so much recognition to the people who are steady, consistent and thoughtful performers, because their contribution is not so obvious. This second group are the backbone of the organisation, who will keep everything running and build long-term success for everyone. Of course, that's not to say that the high-performing business developers and strategists are not valuable - they of course contribute a great deal to the company.
Too much focus in business in the recent past has been on short-term results, and the people who have been rewarded tend to be the people who bring in those short-term results. We are starting to realise, in our companies, our economy, and the way we work, that success may very well be a marathon, not a sprint.
