The London 2012 Olympics are in full swing. Like many others I have been spending some time watching the Olympics on TV.

The competitors in the Olympics are obviously those who are the elite group in their particular sport within the country they are representing.  They are interviewed immediately after their event.  Some have been successful and got the medal they wanted and for others it’s disappointment.

At the same time there are many common messages that come out from those interviews that apply equally to business and leadership success.

You have to give 100% commitment to what it is you want to achieve.  Without a doubt those that are competing have committed themselves 100%.  They don’t expect it to be easy and are ready and willing to do what it takes.

There is no shortcut to success for anyone.  Bradley Wiggins has just won gold following on from a win in the Tour De France.  He is 32 years old.  I saw a feature at the weekend saying he started cycling at 12 years old.  While he has had success before none of it was overnight.

You have to be willing to make the sacrifice and those Olympic athletes have made a ton of personal sacrifice.  There is no such thing as achieving anything of significance without a lot of hard work.

You need a team of people supporting you to achieve success.  Listen to the competitors thank the people who have helped them and you will hear a host of people being mentioned.  Business and leadership is no different.  You cannot be the lone ranger if you want to achieve something significant.

There is a huge difference between talk and action.  All those representing their countries could have spoken about what they could, might or maybe do.  The difference is they took a decision, made a commitment and got in to action.  How many hours are spent in organisations’ speaking about the possibilities rather than deciding and acting?

The Bottom Line:  To achieve success businesses and leaders within them need to take a long term view.  The reality is there is no shortcut to success.

Duncan Brodie helps accountants and other professionals to become highly effective leaders and managers.  He invites you to sign up for his free audio e-course.

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