Heroes are timeless. These days, you could see top athletes as modern heroes. We admire them because they achieve things that we 'ordinary' people find impressive and inspiring. We love athletes who push their limits, just when you thought that was no longer possible. In every sport there is someone who is the best at what they do, and who gives up everything to reach the top. These standout performers are highly engaged. They inspire their teammates and other athletes, just as you, as an engaged manager or employee, can be an inspiration to your colleagues.
What is a HELD?
In his book Word een HELD (Become a HERO), Prof. Dr. Bas Kodden describes a HELD, the Dutch word for hero, as a Hoog Energieke Leidingnemende Doener: a high-energy doer who takes the lead. Someone who is engaged, vital and dedicated and knows where their talents lie. Book description Engagement pays off, at work too: engaged people feel healthier and perform better. UBES manual Elite sport and business have a lot in common. The way top athletes achieve their goals can be a great inspiration for managers, entrepreneurs and employees. Three examples of highly engaged top athletes.
Bibian Mentel
Bibian Mentel was a Dutch snowboarder and three-time Paralympic champion. She won gold in snowboard cross in 2014 and 2018, and in 2018 also in banked slalom. She did this while fighting cancer nine times since the start of this century. After a tumour in her leg, she chose to have her leg amputated. Wikipedia
Perseverance and zest for life
Bibian was a hero in more ways than one. Four months after her amputation she was back on her snowboard, while she couldn't even walk on crutches yet. That inspired her to work with Rita van Driel of the International Paralympic Committee to make snowboarding a Paralympic event. After eight years of lobbying, they succeeded in 2012. Even when the cancer kept coming back, she refused to be knocked down. She died in 2021 at the age of 48. With her passion, zest for life, strong mental resilience and a higher purpose, Bibian is a textbook example of an engaged person.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese professional footballer who has played for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, among others. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of all time and won the Ballon d'Or five times. Wikipedia Even past the age of forty he still plays at a high level and keeps scoring goals. He achieved this with talent, but above all with a great deal of training, belief in himself and perseverance.
Engaged superstar
You may love him or not, but nobody can deny his engagement. Ronaldo has a clear goal: to be the best. To get there, he takes personal steps that form the basis of his success. Besides training a lot, he makes sure he is always in top shape physically and mentally. He is very self-confident, doesn't get knocked down easily, is a leader on the pitch and can perform under high pressure. He inspires people to believe that a lot is possible with hard work and passion for what you do.
Dafne Schippers
Dafne Schippers is a Dutch athlete who was successful first in the heptathlon and later in sprinting. She became world champion in the 200 metres in 2015 and 2017, won Olympic silver in 2016 and took four other World Championship medals, including bronze in the heptathlon in 2013. World Athletics She has since retired.
Young and engaged
Dafne is a good example of an engaged athlete. She dared to switch careers, from the heptathlon to sprinting, and achieved her goals through belief in herself and hard training. That in a sport with a lot of uncertainty and enormous competition. You need to be confident, deal well with setbacks and be able to peak at the right moment. That is only possible if the foundation is right. Just like at work, you need to be in good mental and physical shape to perform at your best. And you need a goal to work towards. For Dafne that was a medal, but at work it could be a new role, for example.
Dedication, perseverance and focus
If you look at these three athletes, they share the same qualities. They have a great passion for their sport, and everything else seems to give way to it. That passion comes from the drive to be the best or the fastest. Performing at a high level all the time takes a great deal of dedication, perseverance and focus. They make sure they are in top condition mentally and physically, take deliberate steps to do so and don't stray from their goal. Without that engagement, they would never have got so far.
Success can be made
As an entrepreneur, manager or employee, you too can improve your performance with deliberate steps. You can, as it were, make success. By setting goals and finding a good balance between your body, your mind and your own abilities, you get into a flow in which you achieve great things. Want to know more about the steps towards more engagement? Then read Word een HELD by Prof. Dr. Bas Kodden (in Dutch), or read more about engaging leadership.
