Greg Searle and Bobby White - If Not Now, Then When?

Yesterday I was invited to an Entrepreneurs' Lunch run by the Bucks Economic and Learning Partnership which had a focus on the challenges and opportunities presented by London 2012.

The highlight of the day for me was meeting a guy by the name of Bobby White, the goalkeeper of the Great Britain Handball team. Bobby and the team aspire to compete in London in two years time.

It will not surprise you to know that Bobby did not grow up aspiring to be a handball goalkeeper. He started his senior sporting life as the semi professional goalkeeper for Newport Pagnell FC, and has actually only been playing Handball since January 2008. Bobby, along with seven of his team mates, was selected from over 2500 athletes that applied for the 2007 Sporting Giants Talent Identification Programme (TID) which was led by UK Sport and the English Institute for Sport. After a series of fitness and skill based trials he was eventually offered a full time contract starting in January 2008 at a sports academy in Denmark where he joined the existing GB squad members. The aim of the programme is to create a competitive Handball team to compete in the 2012 London Olympics, targeting a top eight finish.

It has not been an easy path for Bobby and the team, principally because news of a significant reduction in funding has meant immediate changes to the set up of the programme. UK Sport funding is remorselessly focused on delivering podium athletes, and this coupled with squeeze in Government funding means that handball effectively needs to be self sufficient at a time when it is investing heavily. Bobby is currently trialling to join a Danish League side which would give him senior League exposure at a crucial time in his development.

When I was talking to Bobby about the moment he decided to give Sporting Giants a try, it reminded me of listening to Greg Searle at Lane4 talk through his decision to go back to competitive rowing. On the face of it both seemed ridiculously tough challenges - to come back to rowing ten years after retirement and at the age of 38, and to learn to play a completely new sport to Olympic level in four years. Both of the guys talk about their decision making ending by them saying to themselves something along the lines 'if not now, then when?'. If I do not make the jump and push myself now, when do I see myself doing it?

I am very fortunate to have the chance to mix with people like Bobby and Greg. It is hard not to be genuinely inspired by the bravery of the decisions they have made, let alone what they may ultimately achieve. 

Our New Coalition: Real Leadership and Motivation!

One week on, and the decisions are made. We have a coalition Government in Great Britain.

I am fascinated by the energy and motivation levels of our leaders, Messrs Cameron and Clegg, at the moment. I cannot easily imagine what it feels like to be flat out for six months on the closest election campaign for decades and then have to transition overnight into running the country for five years. There was not even the chance for a quick weekend away to recuperate. It reminds me of the M&A situations we have found ourselves in supporting clients at Lane4 whereby a deal is struck to acquire a business late at night after weeks of negotiation, and the 100 day integration plan kicks off the following morning!

Britain is certainly in need of strong leadership at the moment. Lane4's Co-Founder Professor Graham Jones recently recorded a podcast for the American Management Association where he talks about the distinction between real and safe leaders. He suggests that real business leaders are, among other things, those who are prepared to take the tough decisions for the good of their organisation; who thrive on pressure in doing so and who are highly visible in tough times. They make things happen. They are mentally tough, and their motivation is principally intrinsic rather than extrinsic. The podcast is available here if you would like to listen in.

http://podcast.amanet.org/edgewise/strategic-planning/193/dr-graham-jones-on-mental-toughness/

Real leadership feels a great synopsis of what we need in Great Britain in the months and years that follow. Time will tell!

Back to the lack of a weekend off for our political leaders. Actually we are conducting a study at Lane4 at the moment which looks at the current state of motivation in the workplace against the backdrop of a relentlessly challenging economy. While we might have not all fought an election or bought a business, the last eighteen months have certainly been a roller-coaster ride for all of us. You can take part by hitting the link below. All respondents will receive a free summary report once we have compiled them. Thanks in advance for taking the time!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Lane4motivationsurvey