Sebastian Coe won the 1500m gold medal at two consecutive Olympic Games, and now as a business leader, is the chairman of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
What follows is a summary of interviews he gave to the Telegraph to promote his book, “The Winning Mind: Developing Inspirational
Leadership and Delivering Winning Results”
Leaders can be made
I believe that you can achieve almost anything, provided you have the motivation and drive, and can visualize the end goal clearly enough.
Ask why?
It is impossible to do something effectively unless you can get to the heart of why you're doing it. It is the most important question to ask before starting anything.
Vision
I cannot overstate the importance of having a vision. It is what you cling to, for dear life, when things are difficult. A vision is intended to inspire people. A vision is the highest point of achievement you can envisage for yourself and your team.
Set ambitious goals to continually improve
Throughout my athletics career, the overall goal was always to be a better athlete than I was at that moment. Improvement was the goal. The gold medal was simply the reward for achieving that goal. It's an approach that I still apply now, in all aspects of my life.
You are not indispensable
A successful company should not cease to function because a key individual leaves. You should already know who the next generation of leaders are.
Encourage risk taking
Take calculated risks even if it means the risk of failure. Being risk averse is a safe option, but it will not enable you to grow or develop as fast.
Losing is not the same as failing
Losing did not make me want to quit – it just increased my hunger to win. I couldn't wait to get back on to the track, and start making the changes needed to improve my chances of winning next time.
Never say never
I was told I would never be fast enough to be an 800m runner and I would never be big enough to run the mile – and yet I broke the world record in both distances. I use other people's disbelief as a motivating factor.
Stick to your game plan
Strategy relates to long-term goals; tactics are the practical maneuvers that need to take place on the day. Short-termism should never replace the long-term view.
Respect your rivals
Your relationships with your competitors are crucial, because you never know who you might be collaborating with at a later date.
Switch off
The brain needs periods of rest to allow new information to bed down, and fresh perspectives to come to the surface. There are numerous examples of people making new discoveries when taking a break from the very thing they had been focusing on. In athletics, performance will often be enhanced by a period of relaxation and calm.
Yes you can
Once you've decided what you want to achieve, commit yourself fully. There are no half-measures. Then, and only then, will you find out what you are really made of. You may just be surprised by the results.
Sebastian credits his success to his extraordinary coach, his father Peter Coe, who drove him extremely hard. "You're killing him," a concerned onlooker once told his father. "Yes, I'm killing him - right the way to the top," he replied.
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