How to be More Like the Olympic Shooter from Turkey

The most meaningful thing for us about this year’s Olympic Games was an advertisement we made honoring the people who change lives.

But from the opening ceremony to the ongoing accusations of doping, this Olympics was full of drama.

Interestingly enough, however, one of the biggest stars to emerge from the games was a calm, seemingly-ordinary Turk named Yusuf Dikec.

What set this Olympic shooter apart from the rest

In the Olympic shooting event, competitors often show up wearing special lenses, hats, and headphones. 

They have special attire, such as customized shooting jackets, trousers, and gloves.

And they look, as a result, like sci-fi assassins who are out for a medal, and one way or another are going to get it.

Dikec, by contrast, showed up with normal glasses, a t-shirt, and—looking like he just got back from walking the dog—took aim at the target with one hand in his pocket.

It’s not too surprising that winning a silver medal with such a calm demeanor, nonchalant pose, and basic gear turned him into a viral sensation.

Turkish sharpshooter Yusuf Dikec takes the internet BY STORM at the Paris Olympics | NBC Sports

Wouldn’t it be cool to be more like him in business?

I think so.

And, after thinking about it for some time, here are three ways to do it:

1. Don’t worry too much about looking the part

It goes without saying that, in business as with anything else, you shouldn’t dress inappropriately.

That means you don’t show up for life-guard duty in a suit and you don’t show up for a business meeting in shorts.

But once that’s done, it’s best to focus on other things—to not get so caught up in looking the part that you forget about the main role you have to play, the main job you showed up to do.

2. Focus on what matters most

I’m not an Olympic shooter, but I can guess from my years playing Division 1 tennis, that the best of them are not thinking about how they look on camera, or what they will eat later that day, or anything of the sort.

The great athletes have quiet minds, with little to no self-talk, and to the extent they’re giving themselves any direction, it will almost certainly be something simple—like:

• breathe deeply
• focus on the target
• pull the trigger

The great operators in any field are like this; they have a wide range of experiences which allow them to deal with complex situations, but they have also reduced what they want to do to the bare essentials.

For example, great business owners will have accumulated a wealth of knowledge within an industry or about their ideal clients.

Similarly, they will have learned many lessons of what not to do in a field (and unfortunately almost always more than once).

But, while not blinding themselves to any dangers, most of the best narrow their focus to something simple—like:

• create something people desire
• let them know about it in a memorable way
• sell it for a reasonable price

3. Don’t even think about stopping

In Olympic shooting, as in business, and as in life, persistence is one of the most important things you can have.

It’s the tenacity to keep coming back year after year, and of pivoting from one thing to the next if necessary, that allows many business owners to turn casual clients into raving fans and at long last succeed. 

As Steve Jobs once said, “I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”

Interestingly, the Turkish shooter is no exception. 

Though he became an international sensation this Olympics, it was hardly his first time competing in the games.

In fact, it was his fifth.

Thus, like many other celebrated heroes, his “overnight success story” was decades in the making.

Which just goes to show you: you have to keep going, to not stop, to continue chasing what you’re after.

Some things just take time. 

Need some help?

If you don’t have decades to become successful, or don’t want to wait that long, you’re going to need some help.

That help may come in various forms, depending on what you’re trying to do.

But the best help is the kind that lets you focus on what matters most to your business—help that lets you and your team put all your attention on what you do best.

This is where we enter the picture

We have decades of experience in helping businesses build memorable brands and highlight what they alone can offer to their customers.

So, whether your business is just starting off on its journey or simply wants to reach the next checkpoint faster, contact us here.

We will be glad to help spread your team’s message, to help you and them stand apart from all others.