We Win When We Share

In anticipation of the 2026 Olympics in Italy, I find myself reveling in my time at the Paris 2024 Olympics. My feed has been showing me footage of both current and previous Olympic games. I was really delighted to stumble upon this clip, which is from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Though Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi may not be household names, I think the import of what happened in this moment is incredibly vital. Not only that, but it’s very appropriate to discuss in the context of business, as I believe the way we approach our clients and customers should be the same way we treat our friends and family – and, yes, even our competition.

The gist of this clip is that both of these individuals qualified for gold with the exact same time, which meant they could have fought to keep the title for themselves, but instead, in the most dramatic display of sportsmanship I’ve ever seen, they opted to share the medal. Despite the fact that they had both trained their entire lives for this moment, they chose to share the honor instead of fighting each other to be the only winner. They hugged and congratulated one another, celebrating their success TOGETHER.

I love what Tamberi said: “We realized our dream came true, and we did it together. It was the most beautiful thing.”

What a beautiful display of sportsmanship, respect and love of the match. Supporting and lifting each other up is the mark of true leadership.