I am not a fan of wrestling. Even when my brother wrestled in high school, I can’t remember ever going to a match or celebrating any of his wins. But, for the first time, this week, I found myself intrigued by a wrestler, and even more intrigued by a wrestling match.
Did you see it? The NCAA Heavy Weight Wrestling Championship? It is going down as the biggest upset in NCAA History. An exciting match to say the least, but an even greater leadership lesson that we all can benefit from learning.
The Underdog's Triumph
Picture this: Wyatt Hendrickson, a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and former Air Force Academy wrestler, faced Gable Steveson. Now, Stevenson; a two-time NCAA champion, an Olympic Gold Medal winner, with a 73-match winning streak, was considered, at the time, the best heavyweight wrestler in the world.
Not one single expert, not one person of authority gave Hendrickson even a one percent shot of defeating Stevens. They said it was impossible, could not be done, and that this was not even a match worth watching.
That is what all the experts said and predicted.
Yet, Hendrickson's belief in his ability never wavered. He believed right to the end that he could do it – why?
Well, let’s just say, it is a story of the power of leadership, and the impact sharing a vision can have on results. It is the story of how important, as a leader, it is to create belief and focus those working with you on what is possible.
The Power of Vision
Earlier that week, Hendrickson had attended his local church service and he was moved by the pastor’s sermon. That day, the pastor’s sermon focused on the story of David and Goliath. A simple well-known story, about how David’s vision of belief helped him accomplish the impossible – defeating Goliath.
Hendrickson shared that he carried that story of David and his vision of victory with him all week. Thinking about the story, and how David’s vision impacted his action.
Now think about that, one small message from a leader to a follower. A message that a leader may wonder if it even has an impact, and how a message of belief can radically and drastically change the actions of the receiver.
That pastor’s message inspired Hendrickson to focus on what he could control, and shut out the naysayers and the deafening buzz of Steveson's accolades. And in the final moments, with the crowd on the edge of their seats, Hendrickson executed a decisive takedown, clinching a 5-4 victory. The arena erupted, and even the commentators were left in awe, dubbing it "the biggest upset in NCAA history.”
Lessons in Leadership and Resilience
So, what can we learn from this NCAA Wrestler and his pastor? Well let’s start with the pastor.
A Leader’s Impact
1
Share Your Vision
That Sunday morning, Hendrickson’s pastor could have spoken about anything, but he chose this time to share a vision that related to the uncertainty and disruption his followers were feeling in their personal and professional lives. In other words, he shared a vision that his followers could relate to and connect to.
2
Underscore With Story
This pastor wanted his followers to not only connect with the vision, but feel the vision, remember the vision, and act on the vision. So, he underscored his vision with a story. Story helps people understand, relate to, and retain information.
3
Connect Story to Action
Hendrickson’s pastor helped his followers see how the story of David and Goliath related to their own lives, and their own struggles, making it easy for them to take the information they heard and translate it into actionable strategies in their own lives. Like how Hendrickson used the story to help him believe and take the actions he needed to.
A Winner’s Mindset
Tyler Hendrickson's story mirrors the challenges we all face in today's unpredictable business landscape. It's easy to be overwhelmed by the pace of change, the obstacles in the way, and changing market conditions.
But luckily for us, Hendrickson laid out an amazing blueprint for turning uncertainty to competitive advantage.
Unshakeable Belief:
You need to have and then trust in your vision, even when the odds seem insurmountable.
Focus on Controllables:
Be clear about what you can control, and what you cannot. Then focus and direct your energy, efforts and actions on what you can control.
Tune Out the Noise:
There are plenty of naysayers, plenty of doubters, and plenty of people who do not support what you are trying to accomplish. So, you need to avoid being sidetracked by external negativity or doubt.
Now Embrace the Hendrickson Mindset
In both sports and business, the path to success is full of uncertainty. I love this story, and Hendrickson's victory is a compelling reminder: with relentless vision, resilience, and a focus on controllable factors, even the biggest obstacles can be overcome.
Yes, it is possible, you can turn all of this uncertainty to your greatest competitive advantage.
