Blink and You Lose

Released today at movie theaters is a film depicting the true story of the University of Washington rowing team that found improbable success at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. 

Against all odds and during the height of the great depression, The Boys in the Boat recalls how a group of working-class boys and their contrarian boatbuilder, George Pocock, made history as they bested East Coast rivals and went on to compete for Gold in Nazi Germany. 

The film offers a myriad of life lessons, but also provides the ideal backdrop from which to understand the beauty of teamwork. Rowing supplies the perfect metaphor from which to see how teammates in perfect harmony with one another can synchronize movement to harness speed and achieve extraordinary outcomes. Like so many other examples of excellence in life, the film illustrates the power of finding strength through adversity and how testing oneself against the limits of human endurance forges the character required to attain greatness. 

A takeaway from the story not to miss is the level of precision and focus expected of each member of the team. From the moment they step into the boat until they cross the finish line, each oarsman must eliminate any distraction and remain fixated exclusively on what they need to do to create the perfect symphony of moving blades. 

Any shift in focus and the fluidity of the rowing performance becomes interrupted to the detriment of the boat. A distraction, no matter how seemingly small or insignificant, throws the oarsman off balance and destroys the boat’s rhythm. If any team member so much as makes a darting glance at the crew next to them to see which boat is ahead, they destroy the synchrony necessary to win. 

While this may sound extreme and not perfectly applicable to other arenas, true excellence in just about anything requires the same disciplined and unwavering focus, void of distraction. Giving attention to anything besides the matter at hand usually serves to undermine extraordinary performance. This is especially true when leaders and teams turn their attention outward toward competitors, instead of inward toward execution and performance. 

The Boys in the Boat has a lot to offer leaders and teams who like a great story and want a ringside seat to visualize what it takes to achieve greatness. Focusing exclusively on the task at hand is what sets great teams and performers apart. Once again, we learn that the most exceptional performer is always the average person with a laser-like focus.