Rooting for the Underdog

With the Olympics in full-swing, it’s hard not to get into the spirit of things. I’ve always been a fan of the games, cheering on the USA in everything from gymnastics to water polo. Of course there are the celebrities (Kobe Bryant) and the powerhouses (Michael Phelps). There are the underdogs too. And, if the men’s 4x100m free relay results teach us anything, these are the ones to watch out for.

(For those not in the loop, the French were favored to win the event –even with the U.S. putting together a “dream team” of aquatic athletes (including Mr. Phelps) to challenge them. In the days leading up to the event, members of the French team were quoted as saying they were going to crush the Americans. Even the announcers, two-thirds through the race, were doubting Team USA’s chances for gold. Then, Jason Lezak did the unthinkable –he swam the fastest split in history and touched the wall first, capturing gold for the U.S. Check pretty much any major news outlet for more.)

Underdogs in the business world are a force to be reckoned with too. True, they often don’t have the seemingly endless resources like the market “celebrities” and “powerhouses,” but they know what they are up against. Plus, there’s nothing like being counted out before the race even begins to fuel determination and spark creativity. Obviously the stakes are quite a bit higher in business, but I’d argue that this just adds to the need these underdogs have to prove themselves. Once these businesses gain some traction, watch out! There’s no telling what they can accomplish.