In partnership with

Building an Olympic Mindset

In last week's episode of EZ Conversations, I had the opportunity to chat with Lee Povey (Listen Here). We discussed Lee's challenging childhood, where he navigated an unhealthy relationship with his father, struggled in school with dyslexia and was told he was lazy, and then felt it challenging to build strong relationships in his adult life. Ultimately, he found a connection in men's groups surrounded by healthy men, leading to his emotional maturity and ability to develop as a leader. Lee went on to coach the US National Cycling team, then pivoted during the pandemic to become a leadership coach, where he now helps top-performing leaders build the skills he developed over many years of overcoming adversity and building resilience.

Reflecting on our conversation and my discussions over the past week, I realized that their emotional maturity sets high performers and leaders apart. While there has been much talk about emotional intelligence, mainly due to the work of Daniel Goleman, people seldom understand what emotional maturity is. I have rarely seen leaders around me have the courage to say that "they do not know," or have the vulnerability to admit that they are also figuring it out. Leaders who can have emotions at the table, but make sound decisions predicated on taking in all information, while identifying their blind spots, require experience and wisdom. Many confuse knowledge with wisdom, but the latter only comes from doing hard things repeatedly, rising above adversity, and building resilience that can power one through difficult situations. That is how one creates an Olympic mindset. Therefore, in this week's edition of EZ Reflections, I wanted to expand on the role of emotional maturity in leadership and high performance.

Why It Matters in Leadership

1. Resilience Under Pressure

Research from the American Psychological Association notes that resilient individuals recover faster from stress and maintain performance in high-pressure environments (APA, 2020). Olympic athletes train specifically to withstand the pressure of international scrutiny and failure on a global stage. Leaders with this mindset rebound faster, think clearer, and maintain poise when the stakes are high.

2. Deliberate Practice Over Passive Experience

Ericsson’s landmark research on expertise shows that elite performers engage in deliberate practice—high-effort, feedback-rich training focused on improvement (Ericsson et al., 1993). Leaders too often confuse years in the field with growth. Olympic thinking rejects autopilot. Every rep—whether a negotiation or feedback session—must be intentional.

3. Grit Over Talent

Angela Duckworth’s seminal research shows that grit—passion and perseverance for long-term goals—is more predictive of success than IQ or talent (Duckworth et al., 2007). Olympic-level grit enables leaders to weather downturns, setbacks, and public scrutiny. Without it, your leadership collapses at the first sign of real resistance.

4. Vision with Ruthless Execution

Olympians visualize winning. Leaders visualize impact. Both fail without ruthless execution. A meta-analysis in the Leadership Quarterly (Banks et al., 2016) confirmed that transformational leadership, driven by clear vision and follow-through, correlates strongly with higher employee engagement and performance.

No Olympic athlete wins by inspiration alone. Neither does a leader.

The Brutal Truth

Most people will never develop an Olympic mindset. It’s not because they can’t, but because they won’t. It’s easier to coast. Easier to avoid discomfort. Easier to rationalize mediocrity. But the cost is immense: disillusioned teams, missed opportunities, and unfulfilled potential.

Leadership without this mindset is like training for the Olympics by walking on a treadmill twice weekly. You may feel busy. But you’re not ready.

References

• American Psychological Association. (2020). Building your resilience. https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience

• Banks, G. C., McCauley, K. D., Gardner, W. L., & Guler, C. E. (2016). A meta-analytic review of authentic and transformational leadership: A test for redundancy. The Leadership Quarterly, 27(4), 634–652.

• Coutu, D. L. (2002). How resilience works. Harvard Business Review, 80(5), 46–55.

• Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101.

• Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363–406.

• Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2013). Primal leadership: Unleashing the power of emotional intelligence. Harvard Business Press.
  

A snippet of the Episode

Head to YouTube for the full episode. Or Subscribe below:

What people are saying about the podcast:

Quote of the Week:

Sponsors

NuCalm: https://nucalm.com/free-trial?/ref=ez for a one-week free trial

NuCalm offers the world’s greatest solution for stress and sleep.

In just 7 days with NuCalm you will: Get the best night's sleep you've had in years.

Gain more clarity and confidence

Get more done in less time

Have more intimacy with your partner

Be more present and likable with your loved ones

Make better decisions

Would you like to work with me?

Book a 1:1 Call with me! I am taking on new clients in July and offering a free consultation.

Subscribe to the Podcast and Newsletter

Recommendations

You’re doing breakfast wrong

Let’s face it—most breakfast options just don’t cut it.

Toast? Too light. Cereal? Mostly sugar. Skipping it altogether? Not ideal.

If you want real fuel to power your day, it’s time to upgrade to Huel Black Edition. This ready-in-seconds shake is packed with 40g of plant-based protein, 27 essential vitamins & minerals, and 0 artificial sweeteners—just science-backed nutrition to support your muscles, digestion, and more.

Oh, and did we mention? It’s delicious.

Right now, first-time customers get 15% off, plus a free t-shirt and shaker with code HUELSPRING, for orders over $75.

Find your fuel

Daily News for Curious Minds

Be the smartest person in the room by reading 1440! Dive into 1440, where 4 million Americans find their daily, fact-based news fix. We navigate through 100+ sources to deliver a comprehensive roundup from every corner of the internet – politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a quick, 5-minute newsletter. It's completely free and devoid of bias or political influence, ensuring you get the facts straight. Subscribe to 1440 today.

Sign up now!