In the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, a Tanzanian marathon runner fell during the race, severely cutting his knee and dislocating the joint. But rather than quitting, he continued running. He trudged on, limping noticeably, alternately trotting and walking.
Time passed by. There was a medal ceremony. The winner was Mamo Walde of Ethiopia, who finished in 2 hours, 20 minutes and 26 seconds.
Thousands of people left the Olympic Stadium, and the sun was setting when this lone Tanzanian stumbled into the stadium. His right leg needed first aid. His running speed was slower than walking. No matter how badly he hurt and how tired he was, he kept on running. He was cheered on by the few people left in the stadium. He finished in 3 hours, 25 minutes and 27 seconds, more than an hour behind the winner.
Seventeen of the 74 competitors in that marathon failed to finish the race. But this Tanzanian, bloodied and injured, never stopped until he crossed the finish line.
His name was John Stephen Akhwari.
Later, when asked why he didn't quit the race when he had no chance of winning a medal, he responded: "My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race. They sent me to finish it."
Every step of that marathon was an absolute achievement for Akhwari. It won him the title "king without a crown."
Akhwari was not competing with other runners. He was competing with himself. He could have quit without any notice, yet he was determined not to let his country and the Tanzanian people down. If he had been unable to complete his responsibility to them, he would have felt guilty for the rest of his life.
In a way, the gallant Akhwari represented people in a business organisation, and the Olympic competition the workspace in that organisation.
It cannot be denied that people are the key success factor in any organisation.
People are required to understand the objectives of their organisation. They have to create a connection between their organisation's objectives and their own, effectively making the organisation's objectives their own objectives. If they can achieve this, then their organisation can optimise their capabilities. It may be called "ownership".
Once they understand their goals, people can perform well, feel comfortable and never stop learning.
Organisations must not only develop people in this fashion, but they must also ensure that their people are self-motivated and self-disciplined. They can be inspired by the workspace environment, and eventually tangible benefits will be of little consequence.
In the end, no matter whether people are winning or losing, they are recognized by their organisation.
CHANTANA SUKUMANONT is executive vice president of Siam City Cement. She may be contacted at chantana.sukumanont@sccc.co.th. This story was originally sourced from Delta Airlines' Sky magazine.
