Shared Leadership on the Beams & Mats

Leadership is for all of us, all the time. As we continue to globally experience the incredible athleticism at the Tokyo Olympics, we also witness the vulnerable leadership of USA gymnast, Simone Biles. With more than two dozen Olympic and World Championship medals to her name -- and expectations to take home several new titles and medals, Simone made the hard choice to step out of the Tokyo Olympics and prioritize her mental health.

How did she know she could lean into "the courage to let go" to take care of herself? Because she knew her team had her back -- and that together, they shared the privilege and responsibility to do their best for Team USA. Here's what she said about her team after she made the formal announcement:

"I just felt like it would be a little bit better to take a back seat, work on my mindfulness. And I knew that the girls would do an absolutely great job....So I just decided that those girls need to go and do the rest of our competition."

To us, Simone knew that her team was healthy and capable enough to succeed because they had built the muscles to trust & rely on each other, create the space to voice vulnerable needs, and share leadership! Though she holds the role of Team Leader, Simone Biles models that regardless of position or title, each of us shares equal responsibility for the health and leadership of the team. And look at the grand success the Team USA gymnasts are having!

Which people and their acts of leadership inspire you? Why? We'd love to know! Reply to this email with your ideas for more First Friday Inspiration.

Happy Tokyo Olympics 2020!