Winning Under Pressure: Lessons from the Winter Olympics
- Tony Johnson
- 6 minutes ago
- 5 min read
As the Winter Olympics come to a close, I find myself interested not just in medal counts but in patterns and ideas. As a storyteller, I'm always on the lookout for compelling narratives from those who are "getting it done" to continue to grow and develop.
When I was a kid, the Olympics were a huge deal. While still very important now, they have way more competition than they did in the 80s, when many of us only had a few stations to choose from and no internet, YouTube or Tik Tok. It was what everyone was watching every night and what we all talked about the next day.
It was a cultural touchstone then and still something I look forward to today.
The Olympics teach us that performance is not accidental - it is designed with purpose and executed with discipline.
If you are leading culture, performance, or CX, I want to point you toward three sports that tell this story of excellence and commitment.
Curling: Reduce Friction to Improve Outcomes
At first glance, curling appears simple. You slide a stone toward a target and then brush furiously to keep it on target, but the deeper lesson is much more strategic.
The sweepers are not pushing the stone forward, they are reducing friction. By smoothing the ice, they allow the stone to travel farther and more predictably toward its intended destination. They can even get it to curl along the way, hence the name.
Talk about a direct connection to Customer Experience (CX) journey design.
Most organizations do not fail because of a lack of effort. They struggle because of rough edges that create hassle for customers and employees.
Departments operating in silos, with limited communication and competing priorities that slow decision-making
Expectations that are unclear or inconsistently reinforced, leaving teams unsure of what “good” truly looks like
Policies that may protect the organization but create hassles for employees and customers
When friction builds, momentum slows and teams have to work harder to accomplish less.
In customer experience work, this is foundational. The easier you make it to do business with you, the stronger your competitive position becomes. Friction is rarely visible on a dashboard, but it is always felt by customers and impacts sales.
Bobsled: The Start Determines the Success
Bobsled is won or lost in the opening seconds. The push must be explosive, synchronized, and precise. Once the sled is racing down the track, there is no opportunity to recover from a weak launch and the early momentum defines the rest of the run.
What makes bobsled particularly instructive is the synchronization required at the start. Every athlete must push at the same moment, with the same force, and in the same direction or they risk compromising the entire run.
Its a game of chicken - jump in too early and you sacrifice potential speed. Jump in too late and you risk not being seated and bumping the edge of the track. I watched Team USA go fully sideways in the Two-Women event because that exact error.
Organizations operate in the same way when it comes to starting strong. First impressions matter when it comes to both customer and employee experiences to establish trust and build culture. Early wins fuel future successes.
In business, misalignment at the beginning of a project or initiative creates downstream inefficiencies that are difficult to correct. Leaders who want consistent performance must focus on alignment early and often.
Establish clear expectations from day one so that every team member understands standards, accountability, and how they personally contribute to success
Communicate shared objectives that align individual effort with organizational strategy
Momentum compounds, but so does confusion. The trajectory of team engagement or a customer experience program is heavily influenced by how intentionally it begins (or not)
You can't fix a poorly aligned start at the bottom of the track in bobsled and it is a tremendous struggle in the workplace as well.
Book Tony Johnson today to speak at your next meeting, facilitate your workshop, consult on your customer experiences, or lead a training event in you business. Set up a call to discuss your personalized event.
Figure Skating: Execution Is What Gets Judged
Figure skating may be the clearest example of execution under scrutiny. Skaters are evaluated on technical accuracy, consistency, and control - the culmination of thousands of hours of practice and dedication.
Customers evaluate businesses the same way judges evaluate skaters. They don't care about the hard work, the challenges, the staffing issues, or the business complexities - they assess what they experience in the moment.
Excellence in hospitality and customer experience is driven by all that happens behind the scenes - training, processes, and systems. But the goal is for all that to be invisible while delivering an experience that feel seamless and intentional.
This comes to life in organizationally in the following ways:
Ongoing training that reinforces fundamentals until they become consistent habits under pressure
Clear service standards that define what quality execution looks like in practical, observable terms
Coaching and feedback that corrects small errors before they become engrained behaviors
Leadership presence that models composure and expectations for execution
Small mistakes are magnified when expectations are high - but in all instances, from value to luxury tiers, details matter. They build credibility and trust in your brand.
Anyone who watched Alysa Liu skate and win gold for the United States saw what happens when enthusiasm, expertise, and fun all come together at the same time, in the same place. It was pure Olympic magic.
Never forget: Customers grade execution, not effort.
The common thread is that it all comes back to people and execution. Reducing friction, starting strong, and disciplined attention to detail matter when you are creating both employee and customer experiences.
High performing organizations do not leave execution to chance. They design systems, processes, training, and accountability that mobilizes the team to deliver on commitments. This is how they move from strategy - the often abstract, obtuse, buzzword laden philosophy - to true tactical activation. This is how they GSD (Get "Stuff" Done).
Clarity, preparation, and focus create results.
Every two years we are lucky enough to experience the Olympics and they teach us about teamwork, leadership, and commitment. We are thankful for the athletes, coaches, sponsors, and counties who bring us these amazing feats and look forward to Los Angeles, The French Alps, and Brisbane over the next 6 years.
Tony Johnson
* Crafted with care + intentionality by a real human, not A.I.
Tony is an award winning speaker and author on the topics of sales growth, customer experience, and leadership. Tony speaks to thousands annually and has been featured on ABC News and Fox News. He is available for business planning, motivational keynotes, leadership workshops, and employee service skills training.
Tony is the founder of Ignite Your Service + Consulting and the Co-Managing Partner, Co-Owner, and Chief Experience Officer for 4xi Global.
Tony is available to help with your Customer Experience and Employee Engagement Strategies, inspirational keynote talks, team training and development, and executive leadership coaching.
* (C) 2026 The Tony Johnson, LLC. May not be used to train A.I.