At age 10, like most kids, Silken Laumann dreamed big thoughts. Lying awake at night, her busy mind see-sawed between competing at the Olympics and saving the children of Africa.

Years later in 1996 – after competing in four Summer Olympic Games, reaching the medal podium and becoming a world champion – Laumann retired from a celebrated rowing career.

And suddenly, after years of fulfilling a lofty dream, she was rudderless. “I absolutely believe that in life you have to have a vision, and I went through a difficult period where I didn’t have any kind of dreams,” says Laumann, now 38.

“I went through a period of searching. It was then that I reconnected with the idea of having a vision of what you want in life.”

Photos courtesy of Silken Laumann
Former Olympic rower Silken Laumann (above and below right) believes companies can reconnect with their original goals in the workplace by focusing on vision and leadership skills.

It’s the cornerstone of a philosophy she’s imparted in hundreds of speeches to business people, athletes, social agencies, women’s groups and children since 1992.

This week on Feb. 7, she addresses the Calgary business community at the Chamber of Commerce. She won’t tell CEOs and executives how to run their businesses, or lay down 10 Rules to Increase the Bottom Line. Instead, she’ll challenge them to remember their own dreams and reinforce the same message that has woven its way through her own life: the idea of personal potential and striving to be the best you can.

Drawing from her experiences, she’ll discuss leadership, trying not to sound “too flaky” in promoting the need for balance in today’s ever-changing workplace.

“I get a lot of people nodding their heads (in agreement) when I talk about these things,” says Laumann. “It’s a reminder to them, because we all lose sight of these things from time to time. It’s really important stuff, it’s not just fluff . . . and it makes a huge difference in your effectiveness in the workplace.”



Laumann explains that businesses are filled with people who began their careers in “gung-ho” fashion, with a vision of what they wanted, what they valued and what they wanted to achieve. Through time and setbacks, they’ve become disconnected, lost enthusiasm and forgotten what they originally wanted.

“One of the things I challenge people to do is to reconnect with the visions that they had for their life . . . to remind them that the dreams they had as a little kid are still somewhere in their heart.”

That doesn’t mean we should all head off to find a cure for cancer or become an Olympian. Instead, it’s about embracing the spirit, of finding ways to make a better contribution in the workplace, at home, in volunteer work.

Based in Victoria, Laumann shares her sporting and personal experiences to illustrate the fundamentals that have propelled her life. A single mom of two young children (she recently separated from her husband), she owns her business, is a writer, makes about 60 speeches a year, speaks on behalf of women and children in a volunteer capacity and sits on the boards of national and multinational organizations.

Helping fulfil her vision of saving the children in Africa, she is the Canadian ambassador for Olympic Aid, a program dedicated to reintroducing play into the lives of children in the developing world.

While her current life alone would keep audiences engaged, it’s her athletic experiences that truly resonate.

“I started speaking (in 1992) because I was asked to,” she laughs, explaining her early credentials. It was that year when Laumann captured the world’s imagination after winning the bronze medal in Barcelona. Only 10 weeks prior to the Games, she was blindsided by another boat, the crash lodging 200 pieces of wood into her lower leg. Doctors said she might never row again, but she persevered.

More than a decade later, she remains in strong demand, speaking with maturity, clarity and confidence. Time has proven that people can draw parallels to their business and her background in rowing, she says.

As an example, Laumann talks about the various coaches she’s worked with, and explains how great leadership took the Canadian team to five gold medals and a bronze in 1992 after being shut out in the 1988 Games. “That success was directly the result of leadership, of getting a team to buy into a vision.”

How was it done?

The same way good managers motivate their own employees: by presenting a clear vision; being trustworthy; showing that they genuinely care about staff; giving up control and allowing people to do the jobs they were hired for; empowering staff to stretch their skills; and when they make mistakes, to stand by their employees.

In Calgary, Laumann will show how her coach Mike Spracklen embodied all the important traits a leader should have.

He laid out the plan, then gave ownership to the team. He didn’t hold anyone’s hands and it was “our gold” to win, a powerful message that she learned to appreciate.

Laumann doesn’t shy from mentioning her failures (being disqualified after double faulting at the start line in the 1994 world championships, when she was the favourite to win) and how she regained her confidence with Spracklen’s help.

She’ll acknowledge the role of fear and how it prevented her from winning earlier in her career.

And she’ll talk about her life outside competition, how her vision and beliefs have helped move her through a separation with her husband that “came out of the blue.”

In today’s world where everyone is facing personal challenges, where the economy has soured, war appears imminent and people have more work to do than there is time in the day, Laumann wants people to look out for themselves.

“I’m asking people to take individual responsibility for balancing their life, to connect with things that make them feel good, and not to ignore their needs . . . to find time to exercise and connect with their body.”

She concedes that there will always be distractions and obstacles.

They began for Laumann at age 12 when she’d sprouted to five feet, 10 inches tall, and realized she’d never be an Olympic gymnast like her childhood inspiration, Nadia Comaneci.

While the focus had to shift, the dream remained. It’s the thread that’s tied her life together.

Web Watch:
www.silkenlaumann.com
www.calgarychamber.com