When the wall...comes tumblin' down! When the wall...
Simone Biles, U.S.A. gymnast, has been called the greatest of all time. The GOAT. Let's quickly count why.
- Biles has 4 Olympic Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze medals from 2016.
- She has 19 World Championship Gold, 3 Silver, and 3 Bronze medals dating between 2013 and 2019.
- She won 2 Pacific Rim Championship Gold medals in 2016, and she has 2 FIG World Cup Gold (2015, 2019) and 1 Silver medal (2013).
Biles is 17th on the all-time list of female gymnasts as scored by lifetime Olympic medals won (Wikipedia), but she is bound to advance on that list despite pulling out of the 2021 (2020) Olympic games.
Finally, in the thick of competition, when the eyes of nearly everyone in the developed and developing world are on her, when the nation and her team are counting on her to anchor them onto the podium once again - she takes a personal day.
Servant Leader, Simone Biles may be called the GOAT for more than her competitive achievements. On top of excellence in performance and her perseverance against insurmountable establishment obstacles, Ms. Biles has now given us a glimpse into her battle with anxiety.
But what does that mean for you, Servant Leader? How do you handle it when your star player, your anchor, the employee you depend on for everything, prioritizes personal wellness over the team goal?
Well, Servant Leader, its time to look inwardly and find out why you let it get to that point in the first place.
No key performer should ever be forced to choose between their own wellbeing or their family's wellbeing and the team's goals. As a servant leader, it is our job to care for our team's all-around wellbeing, and that means setting realistic goals and managing our most valuable resources so that we reach the company's goals while simultaneously bringing every single one of our charges along for the successful ride.
No man left behind.
The path to success should not be littered with the bodies of people we sacrifice to get there.
I have written it before, and I'll write it again. As a servant leader, our greatest stewardship challenge is our people. God has given us charge over His people - read that again. We are responsible for the professional advancement and the wholesale wellbeing of His people. So, how do we ensure His people don't need a "personal day" when we need them the most?
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Phil 2:3-4, NIV)
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matt 7:12, NIV)
Servant Leader, be mindful in applying God's word. "Doing unto others" does not mean treating those in your charge exactly as you want to be treated. They are not you. They have different skills, different tolerances, and different priorities. They may be more or less capable than you when you were in their shoes. No, Servant Leader, doing unto others does not mean mirroring your own treatment; rather, it means seeing others' unique skills and weaknesses and striving to help them grow while achieving the goals of the team (or company). It means helping them achieve professionally, develop personally, and succeeding entirely.
It means setting them up for success even if that means achieving your own goals becomes harder. (What is the first word in "servant leadership?")
For Ms. Biles, it means someone should have seen the signs that her GOAT façade was beginning to crack under the pressure. No woman is an island, not even the GOAT.
Be your brother's keeper, Servant Leader, before your brother's crumbling façade becomes your next Lesson Learned.
(Photo: Getty Images)
(Title lyric courtesy of John Mellencamp)