Olympian Tewksbury delivers 5 traits to live to your full capacity OLTCA keynote presenter says there are skill sets that support all success   Tuesday April 27, 2010 -- Camille Jensen TORONTO - Not only are there parallels between being an athlete and working in long-term care, there are also common traits to success, says Canadian Olympian Mark Tewksbury. The keynote presenter during the Ontario Long Term Care Association’s (OLTCA) Together We Care convention says he shares an affinity with the long-term care sector, which, like athletes, is serving the public good. Passing around his gold, silver and bronze medals to the audience, Tewksbury presented a set of traits and fundamentals for achievers and leaders to help people reach their goals and be the best they can be. Based on his new book, The Great Traits of Champions, Tewksbury says it all starts with exemplifying leadership. This means demonstrating your values and striving for excellence. In this effort you are not only attaining self-betterment, but positively impacting your peers. “When we strive for achievement we create a platform upon which others want to uphold their own standard of excellence,” Tewksbury told the more than 1,000 delegates attending his presentation. Exemplifying leadership also involves “holding the mirror up” and remembering it starts with you. Tewksbury says while it may be difficult to exemplify leadership on a day-to-day basis, especially when challenged with not enough staff or resources, it’s important to at least strive for the ideal. Recognizing your impact and generously sharing your knowledge, wisdom and insight is the second trait recommended by Tewksbury, which he calls “influencing wisely.” Tewksbury says we underestimate the difference we can make. We all have an amazing sphere of influence, the question is how do we use it? “The wealth of experience and knowledge that you have is only valuable if you share it. Otherwise it ends,” he adds. In long-term care this means communicating from association to association, home to home, and generation to generation, says Tewksbury. On the way to achieving your desired outcome you must be ready to persist through tough times and periods of hard work, demonstrating the third trait, “going the distance.” Tewksbury relates how 16-year-old swimmer for the former Soviet Union Vladimir Salnikov was destined for gold but Cold War politics prevented him from achieving his dream at the following two Olympic Games. Olympian swimmers were known to peak at age 20 but Salnikov persisted, training for more than 10 years, when at 28 he became the oldest swimmer to win an Olympic gold. “Everybody in the world had given up on Salnikov other than Salnikov himself,” recalls Tewksbury. “Nothing ever worth working for ever goes without lots of hard work.” Trait No. 4 is to continually evolve. This skill set asks people to create a dynamic environment where they never stop raising the bar and trying new things. For Tewksbury this meant learning French at 35, how to ski at 40, and surfing at 42. “It reminds you how to learn,” says Tewksbury, who adds it also makes adapting to change much easier. Finally, Tewksbury asks people to embrace contradictions. By looking at multiple solutions to any given situation people can find what works, even if that appears to contradict what they have done before. This is critical because real life is not perfect, nor is it black or white. Instead, Tewksbury says it’s black, white and everything in between. "And the more you can tap into that, the more possibilities you have for yourself.” Leisureworld sponsored the Tewksbury presentation during the two-day annual convention. The event is held in partnership with the Ontario Retirement Communities Association April 25-27. If you have feedback on this article, please contact the newsroom at 800-294-00e 51, ext. 24, or e-mail camille(at)axiomnews.ca.