Power Relationships: 26 Irrefutable Laws for Building Extraordinary Relationships by Andrew Sobel & Jerold Panas

Author:Andrew Sobel & Jerold Panas [Sobel, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2013-12-15T14:00:00+00:00

17

The Carrot and the Stick

In his native Norway, he's better known than the prime minister of the country. When I walk with him down the street in Oslo, people line up to ask for his autograph.

The same is true in Amsterdam. In the Netherlands, where he now lives, they take their speed skating seriously. Very seriously.

I'm talking about Johann Olav Koss. It's been 10 years since he won his fourth gold medal in the Winter Olympics. That's some time ago, but Johann is still a national hero. A legend.

There's more. Johann also established three world records in the Olympics. In his skating career, he actually broke 10 world records. Many consider him the greatest speed skater in the history of the sport.

His achievements on the ice have been eclipsed by his efforts on behalf of an organization called Right to Play. This is an amazing international humanitarian movement founded by Johann. The work of Right to Play and the millions of lives of young people it touches every year is a story in itself. But not for now.

Let's get back to Johann and what turn out to be his two closest relationships. It begins when Johann is seven years old. He is with a large group of other young skaters. “I am the worst of the lot,” he says. The leader and coach of this group of skaters is Svein Håvard Sletten.

“I am not very good. But Svein evidently sees something in me I don't see in myself. As I continue working with him, I realize he is a coach who wants most in life to produce a winner. That is my dream, also.

“He keeps pushing me. Pushing. Pushing. Hours and hours. Every day.

“But always, he only tells me everything I am doing wrong. I don't like all the fierce criticism. But that doesn't stop me from working hard. I work very hard. I keep improving.

“It's Svein's severe work ethic that drives me. It gives me the foundations to succeed.

“I keep driving myself. I work day and night at the skating. I am driven. I am totally committed to being the best. The best ever.”

Talk about exerting himself. I once saw a video of Johann exercising when he was competing. It was a large stadium in Norway. There must have been a hundred steps in the stadium from the ground to the top row.

Picture this. There's Johann jumping with both feet together, one step at a time. Up all one hundred steps. If you don't believe that's tough, just try doing two or three steps, two feet at a time.

“Soon I am skating with a smaller group. Svein is still my coach. And I still get the negative comments. But now I'm with a more select group that shows real promise.

“I continue to improve. He continues to push me. But he never stops telling me everything wrong I'm doing with my skating. I'm not getting any positive strokes. Only what I need to improve.”

Fast forward, as they say. Johann is now seventeen years old.

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