A few days ago, legendary athlete Dick Fosbury passed away. The first time I heard about him was at ESADE. A professor introduced Fosbury to us as a clear example of innovation. After that talk, I was shocked by his enormous feat. Years later, I watched as he was quoted at numerous talks and conferences. In fact, I have used it myself dozens of times in my classes and speeches.
Fosbury achieved world fame at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. Until the moment, all high jump athletes performed the jump using a technique known as the ventral roll. It is about jumping the bar by jumping forward and passing the belly over the bar and doing a small turn. Until then, it was the main option for all athletes. But Fosbury showed up at the Olympics with a totally different way of jumping. It was about running towards the bar following a curved trajectory jumping with his back to the bar and with the nearest arm extended. The jump caused a huge surprise but allowed Fosbury to win the gold medal. He marked a milestone, not only in the history of the high jump but of athletics and sport in general. From that moment on, athletes began to use this new jumping technique called the Fosbury Flop.
You can see the jump in the following link.
Fosbury acknowledged in later interviews that he had not invented the jump. He claimed that he had first seen it in a Canadian athlete,Debbie Brill. And according to Fosbury, his coach saw Debbie doing this new jumping technique and proposed it to Fosbury, who implemented it in his training. The rest is history.
From this fascinating story, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE FOLLOWING LESSONS:
- BE HUMBLE: I love that a person as admired and recognized as Fosbury has the humility to admit that he was not the inventor of this new way of jumping.
- COPY GOOD IDEAS: Many of the great achievers copy good practices and good ideas. In many disciplines, the “inventors” of new ideas are not the most successful. Usually, the most successful are those who know how to apply, communicate, or “sell” these ideas. For example, in reference to Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman was not the creator or the first to talk about it, but he was a great promoter of it.
- TO HAVE DIFFERENT RESULTS, YOU MUST DO DIFFERENT THINGS: Crystal clear. When facing important challenges, we must be innovative, and creative, and approach them differently. On many occasions, only in this way, we will achieve different results. So be brave and dare to try new ways of doing things.
- THERE IS ONLY ONE THING WORSE THAN BEING COPIED, NOT BEING COPIED: In the first point I wrote to you about the importance of copying good ideas; now I am telling you that the great recognition of your work is that others notice you. Being copied and imitated means that you are leaving an impact on others. An extraordinary way to be recognized and verify that you are going in the right direction and that you are leaving a good legacy.
- THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN’T IS YOU: Dick stated in various interviews that many people told him that this new technique was not only not going to work but would also make a fool of himself. Fosbury used to answer them with a “we’ll see.” Having self-confidence is key to achieving any worthwhile achievement.
- IN HIGH COMPETITION YOU COMPETE AGAINST YOURSELF, NOT AGAINST OTHERS: Fosbury used to say that in elite competition your only rival is yourself. That you don’t compete against anyone but yourself. I spoke about this point in my post “Winning is everything… isn’t it?”
- YOUR MIND IS KEY: Fosbury stated that in top competition 90% of the results are determined by your mind. Working the body is necessary, but above all, working the mind can make a difference from other competitors. Having the right attitude and great emotional intelligence can be key to achieving great results in sports, business, and in life.
I wanted to pay this small tribute to a legend, not only of sports but of the world in general, Dick Fosbury is a clear example of leadership, of how to influence others, of how to achieve great results and leave an unforgettable legacy. A great athlete and a great personal brand.
