Real-World Self-Leadership- Case 3-Roger Bannister

Real-World Self-Leadership- Case 3-Roger Bannister

Summary

The case study presents a real-world self-leadership case study informed by an athlete called Roger Bannister. The athlete presents a true real-life definition of self-leadership by setting goals and achieving them in an inspiring way. The athlete was the favorite to win the 1952 Olympic gold medal in Helsinki 1952. However, it never happened towards finishing the race because Bannister faded away and finished in the fourth position. It was a disappointment for him to come to the fourth position from just being the winning favorite. The disappointment was not for him alone; many British supporters were disappointed with the failure.

Bannister considered the failure a disaster but gained the courage to prepare to change the supporters’ perception of him. He took it upon himself to plan for training and take measures to improve performance and retire honorably by winning the 1500-meter event and breaking the World record. To achieve the feat, Bannister had to set clear goals and establish an approach to achieve them. First, Bannister obtained good friends who shared the dream of breaking the 4-minute barrier, which was considered unachievable. They set goals and consistently worked for them, and in 1954, Bannister remarkably broke the 4-minute barrier and retired honorably by rewriting record books.

Questions and Answers

Explain how Roger Bannister used goal-setting to become the first person to break the 4-minute mile.

Roger Bannister aimed to overturn his failures remarkably, and that was through breaking the 4-minute mile. Notably, this was the initial long-term goal he set after failing to win the Helsinki race. He then set short-term goals that would guide him toward the bigger goal. The short-term goals entailed reducing the time taken in running 440 yards from 2 minutes to less than 60 seconds. Once he could run below 60 seconds, he knew he was ready for the big task.

Do you think Bannister could have been successful in his attempt if he had not used self-set goals? Why or why not?

I think Bannister could not have been successful in his attempt were it not for the self-set goals. Essentially, this is so because self-set goals serve as a motivation that keeps one going (Gillingwater, 2021). Bannister felt the debt he owed himself and his fellow compatriots upon his shoulders through the self-set goals.

How might Bannister have used other self-leadership strategies mentioned in this chapter, such as cueing, self-observation, self-reward, and practice?

Bannister used different self-leadership strategies to keep the focus on the major goal and ensure that he progressed towards it. Bannister enhanced training, but through leadership strategies, he was able to monitor progress and the time when he was ready to take on the challenge. Self-observation and practice helped him check the improvements in the time taken to run 440 yards, while self-reward was through breaking the 4-minute barrier.

What role do you think purpose played in Bannister’s goal-setting process

I think purpose played a central role in the goal-setting process. Both long-term and short-term goals set by Bannister were based on a single purpose of achieving the below 4-minute feat. Therefore, the goal-setting process had to be consistent with this purpose.

Critical Aspects and Assessment

From the case study, I perceive various critical aspects to be important in setting and achieving a goal. First, there is a need to establish a clear objective that is to be achieved as a long-term goal and establish short-term goals that will help one work towards the major goal. Second, self-motivation is a critical aspect in searching to achieve a goal. However, this is not to underestimate the role played by teammates in helping to realize a goal, but I think the major drive should be from within. Finally, observation and reflection are critical aspects that should help monitor progress and make necessary corrections upon reflection. For instance, Bannister observed that it could be hard to break the 4-minute barrier at half of the final lap and reflected on running the remaining race in less than 30 seconds.

Reflection

The case study on how Bannister used a failure to achieve a landmark objective is a true definition of self-leadership. Bannister managed to set a goal, employ effective leadership from within to work towards the goal, and assess the best time to take on the challenge. Leadership is essential in every objective set as people go about different activities in life. According to Asselineau & Grolleau (2021), setting goals can be easy, but achieving them is the most complex challenge that calls for strict leadership strategies. Drawing from the case of Bannister, leadership played a role in ensuring strict targets were made and consistently worked to achieve them. Bannister knew that if he could run a 440-yard in less than a minute, he could be ready to take the challenge of breaking the 4-minute barrier. Therefore, leadership was required to ensure all efforts were directed towards achieving a below 1-minute run over 440 yards.

Another crucial aspect of working towards goals is innovation. Innovation entails improvising means through which a goal can be achieved effectively. Bannister used innovation to assess the best way of achieving the ultimate goal of breaking the 4-minute barrier and innovated short-term goals such as the 440-yard race that he worked to attain in less than a minute. Similarly, innovation helps break down the big objective into smaller attainable parts, eventually leading to attaining the bigger goal. Lastly, there is a need to embrace change. Change is inevitable and should be embraced to reap its fruits (Wooten, 2022). I believe the Bannister case study provides a perfect example of recognizing the need for change and taking steps to adopt change.

References

Asselineau, A., & Grolleau, G. (2021). The power of the impossible. Journal of Business Strategy. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-03-2021-0035

Gillingwater, R. (2021). Defining a Purpose (vision, mission, and values) that builds greater emotional connection: Make Change Happen. In ICAReAlumni Conference Proceedings (No. 3).

Wooten, J. O. (2022). Leaps in innovation and the Bannister effect in contests. Production and Operations Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.13707

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1. Write a brief Overview/Summary of the case in your own words describing the nature and/or background information pertaining to the case.
2. Write the question, then Answer and Respond to all of the Questions in the case. Use the chapter content to strengthen and support your answers.

Real-World Self-Leadership- Case 3-Roger Bannister

3. In your opinion, what were some Critical Aspects and/or Assessments in the cases that were identified? What were some Critical Aspects that you perceived to be very vital?
4. Write a minimum 1-Page Reflection on what you learned from the case in relations to leadership and managing innovation and change.
5. Make sure your paper format is outlined with the following: (1) Cover Page Sectional Headings; (2) Overview/Summary; (3) Questions and Answers; (4) Critical Aspects and/or Assessments; and (5) Reflection Page.