The Gold No One Predicted: What the Olympics Can Teach Us About Emotional Intelligence

I’m an Olympic junkie. Summer, winter, it doesn’t matter. I watch all the competitions I can, and I root and cheer. I love the Americans, of course, but I also love the underdogs.

And if I’m being honest, I get a little frustrated when the media becomes so laser-focused on one athlete and basically declares them the winner before the competition even starts.

It’s not fair to the other athletes, and it’s not fair to the “favorite.” Because hype creates pressure, and pressure creates noise.

How often do we see this same thing happen in the workplace?

Leaders put so much on their favorite. So much hype, so much pressure, and so much attention. Meanwhile, someone else is in the background, working hard. Head down. Putting in the reps. Staying focused on the goal.

And the favorite starts to believe the hype. They get into their own head thinking they are unstoppable, wearing it like a badge.

At the Winter Games, the whole world watched this exact scenario play out.

The favorites choked. They fell. They popped jumps. They couldn’t land the very jumps they’re known for.

And while most of the attention was on the expected champions, Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan quietly took to the ice.

No hype. No big storyline. No one paying him much attention.

And then he skated. Calm. Composed. Locked in.

And he won.

What This Moment Teaches Us About Emotional Intelligence

High performance isn’t just about talent. It’s about emotional control. It’s about being able to quiet the noise, stay present, and trust the work.

For the favorite, it’s knowing you’re good, but not letting the hype get to your head. Not believing your own press. Not forgetting that even at the top of your game, you’re still human. You still have to prepare. You still have to focus. You still have to execute.

For the underdog, it’s belief. Belief in the work, in the preparation, and belief that you belong, even if no one else is saying it out loud.

And it matters just as much in life as it does in the Olympics.

Sometimes the person who wins isn’t the one everyone is talking about. It’s the one who was quietly getting ready.