What Olympic breakdancing teaches us about being ourselves

A friend recently asked – hypothetically – what advice I would have given to Australian Olympic breakdancer, Raygun.

I don’t know anything about breakdancing (beyond it being artistically and culturally complex) or elite competition.

But I would encourage anyone to be sincere, try their best and be their true self in whatever they do.

And it seems that’s just what Raygun did.

She obviously experienced an explosion in attention post-Olympics.

A lot of it looks like it’s been awesome and supportive.

Sadly though, a lot hasn’t. It’s been mocking, mean and nasty.

But being mean or even just critical about someone who’s trying their best is a reflection on the critic, not the performer.

And this is what Theodore Roosevelt captured when he said (and I’m paraphrasing):

“It’s not the critic who counts; not the one who points out how the doer stumbles or where they could have done better”.

And that:

“The credit belongs to the one who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming”.

This is as true of Raygun’s situation as it is any leader – wherever they sit in society – trying to make a positive difference in their organisation or community.

Being your true self anytime, let alone in front of an organisation (or on the world stage!), is a courageous act of vulnerability to be admired (even when ineffective).

Sometimes trying to make a difference looks different to what we’re expecting. Sometimes we have to try new things. We have to take a risk. And sometimes it just falls flat.

And that’s ok.

The presence of spectator critics is not evidence that we’re failing. Or that we should give up.

Sometimes it’s simply evidence of the critics’ own psychology.

Criticism can be good. And it can be kind.

It can be incredibly helpful for sharpening our approach.

But only when it comes from people who:

• Genuinely want to help us
• Have credibility in the relevant realms

And – as hard as it often is – we should therefore do our best to ignore it from everyone else.

PS Here’s the unedited and unabridged Theodore Roosevelt quote, which has been given new life by Brene Brown in recent years:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Theordore Roosevelt