From being a top-10 German swimmer to winning gold in the Men’s Singles Sculls at the 2024 Olympic Games to embarking on a new journey in business school, this is the story of Oliver Zeidler.
In this episode, John and Konsti speak with Oliver about the strategic mindset that propelled him from rowing world titles in 2019, 2022 and 2023 to Olympic gold in Paris, the mental resilience that helped him overcome the trauma of a seventh-place finish in Tokyo in 2021, his transition into IMD’s MBA cohort, and his evolving vision for a career that leaves a lasting impact beyond sport.
Key takeaways and highlights from the show:
Translating the athlete mindset: Oliver contrasts the clear “gold-medal” North Star of sport with the diverse motivations in an MBA cohort, emphasizing the importance of aligning individual goals through respect and honest dialogue.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint: Drawing on his deep understanding of training to reach peak performance, Oliver argues that striving for 100% effort every day leads to burnout. Instead, he champions an “85% rule”, pushing hard but not too hard, to maintain high performance over the long term, whether in training or in leading teams.
Process setbacks deliberately to grow stronger: After Tokyo’s disappointment, Oliver treated his seventh-place finish as a trauma: he worked with a sports psychologist, and consciously moved through the full grieving cycle. This intentional reset enabled him to “let go” of past failures and return to peak performance in Paris.
Rowing as a metaphor for life: When you’re in a rowing boat, you face backwards, so you see clearly where you’ve been (the past) and what’s right in front of you (the present), but you’re “blind” to the future coming up behind you. By consciously reflecting on your wins and weaknesses (making sense of your past), you can translate those lessons into stronger decisions today, which will help you going forward, even if the road ahead is unclear.
Savor the moment before chasing the next summit: Having habitually been “three steps ahead,” Oliver practiced pausing to fully enjoy each win. Consciously focusing on the present, rather than immediately plotting the next goal, gave him renewed energy and gratitude.
Understand individual drivers to align teams: Oliver continually steps out of his comfort zone to learn what motivates each teammate, aligning their personal “why” with shared goals. He believes that taking the time to connect on purpose is as critical in boardrooms as it is in boats.
Enjoy the show!
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