Every four years, the Winter Olympics remind us of two universal truths:
- Human beings are capable of astonishing things.
- Someone out there is willingly flying down an ice mountain at 85 mph on skis the size of cafeteria trays.
It’s inspiring. It’s intense. It’s slightly terrifying. And it’s a perfect reminder of what it really takes to be a high-performing team.
We know high performance isn’t just about speed, precision, and medals (although we would look great in matching jump suits). It’s about how groups of people work together toward a shared goal whether that’s building something innovative, running a student organization, or trying to coordinate a philanthropy event without sending 47 follow-up texts.
So, what can teams in higher education and fraternity/sorority life learn from the Olympic athletes currently competing on the world stage? A lot, actually. And unlike curling, it’s easier to understand than it looks.
Olympic Teams Don’t Just “Show Up.” They Train for the Moment.
One thing I always appreciate about the Olympics is when they showcase a particular team’s journey to the competition. I love watching the highlights of them practicing, overcoming challenges, and hitting milestones they’ve set. But that’s merely a glimpse into the thousands of hours behind the scenes. You see the final performance: the perfectly synchronized skating routine, the relay exchange executed flawlessly, the hockey team moving like a single organism.
In higher education and fraternity/sorority life, high-performing teams aren’t built during the big events. They’re built in the meetings no one wants to attend, in the planning sessions, and in the moments when people choose responsibility over convenience.
The Winter Olympics are a masterclass in one key idea:
Peak performance is earned long before the spotlight arrives.
Great Teams Have Roles and Not Just Titles
In the Olympics, every athlete has a role, and they understand it completely. In bobsledding, not everyone is the driver. In hockey, not everyone is the goal scorer. In relay skiing, the anchor doesn’t do the same job as the first leg. But, all of them matter.
In student organizations and on our professional teams, it’s easy to fall into the trap of assigning titles without clarity. Someone becomes “Social Chair,” but no one knows what that actually means besides “go to risk management meetings and pick event themes.”
High-performing teams don’t rely on vague job descriptions and good intentions. They rely on clarity and reducing role-conflict (credit to Dr. Tony Vukusich for teaching me this):
- Who owns what?
- What does success look like?
- How do we support each other when things go sideways?
Olympians Trust Each Other Under Pressure
Olympic teams operate under pressure most of us can’t even imagine. Their mistakes are televised, their wins are global, their nerves are real, and yet, the best teams don’t fall apart. They rely on trust.
Trust is what makes a relay team pass the baton without hesitation. It’s what makes a hockey team stay aggressive even when they’re down by a goal. It’s what makes a curling team confidently yell things like “HARD!” and “SWEEP!” without anyone taking it personally.
In higher education and fraternity/sorority life, trust is what allows teams to thrive when deadlines hit, stress rises, and everyone is balancing 19 commitments plus a sudden emotional breakdown over email notifications.
So What Does It Take to Be a High-Performing Team?
If Olympic teams can do it under global pressure, with ice, snow, and gravity working against them… your department can probably handle planning a retreat without imploding.
Probably.
Here are three key takeaways teams can apply immediately.
Takeaway #1: Build Consistency Before You Need It
Olympic teams don’t wait until competition day to “get on the same page.” They train together constantly, building habits that hold up when things get chaotic.
For teams in higher education, this means:
- Regular check-ins (even short ones)
- Clear weekly priorities
- Follow-through on commitments
- Creating rhythms that make teamwork automatic
Takeaway #2: Create a Culture Where Feedback Isn’t Personal
Olympic athletes live on feedback. Coaches adjust form. Teammates communicate constantly. Corrections happen in real time.
In student organizations, feedback can feel awkward, especially among friends. But high-performing teams know the difference between criticism and growth.
A healthy team culture sounds like:
- “Here’s what went well.”
- “Here’s what we can improve.”
- “Here’s how I can support you.”
- “Here’s what I need from you.”
Takeaway #3: Win as a Team, Not as Individuals
Olympic teams succeed because they prioritize the mission over the ego.
High-performing teams do the same thing. They celebrate each other, share credit, and show up for the group even when it’s inconvenient.
That means:
- Helping someone else meet their deadline
- Supporting leaders instead of criticizing them from the sidelines
- Taking ownership instead of saying “that’s not my job”
- Recognizing that the group’s reputation matters more than personal recognition
In fraternity and sorority life especially, legacy is important. I often here the mantra from chapter members that ‘they want to leave things better than they found it.” Legacy isn’t built by one standout leader. It’s built by a culture that makes excellence repeatable year after year.
The Final Olympic Lesson: High-Performing Teams Make It Look Easy… Because They Made It Hard First
When you watch Olympic teams compete, it looks effortless. But it’s not. It’s the result of preparation, trust, and thousands of small choices to stay aligned when it would be easier to drift.
The same is true for high-performing teams on campus. The organizations that thrive aren’t the ones with the most talent. They’re the ones with the most discipline, the clearest communication, and the strongest commitment to each other.
So, whether you’re building a leadership team, planning a recruitment season, or trying to survive a committee meeting that could’ve been an email…take a page from the Winter Olympics. Train like it matters. Communicate like it matters. Trust like it matters.
And if all else fails, just start yelling “SWEEP!” until everyone gets motivated.
It works for curling. It might work for your team, too.