What Makes Michael Phelps So Special

I was talking with some friends the day after the commentators were talking about Michael Phelps being "built to swim".  He's 6'4" with a 6'7" wingspan.  His legs are suitable for a man who's 6'0" making them extremely powerful for pushing off while his torso is that of a 6'8" man which reduces his drag.  His feet are a size 14 and function as flippers.  He's double jointed in his knees and elbows.  For all of his genetic gifts, his coach credits more than anything his determination and ability to focus.

Someone then asked what all of that has to do with anything.  Considering the source, I took my shot.  "He would make a lousy gymnast."  Then, I got to thinking about it after reading Erin's post on choosing the right professionals .  At 6'4", he'd probably make a pretty good basketball player.  The challenge would be his short legs giving him the up and down court speed of a 6' man.  He's only an inch shorter than Usain Bolt, the sprinter from Jamaica, but again, he'd still have to take 46 strides to cover the 100m vs. Usain's 41.  On the track he's only "6' tall". Back to the gymnast thing, Shawn Johnson would mop the floor with him.

So what makes Michael, Shawn, or Usain special.  It is determining what they do better than anything else and then focusing only on that.  That is what networking is all about.  You decide what you do better than anything else and then build a team around you to make up for the skills you lack.  The value you bring to client relationships is in being able to say "I can't do that but, I know someone who does."

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