Applications for Olympic Games tickets close at midnight today, 26th April.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got mixed feelings about next summer’s sports-fest. Hear me out a moment – now of course it goes without saying that the Games will be a fantastic boost to the UK economy, and there’s no denying the buzz that’s already started in the run-up to 2012 is tremendously exciting. But will we really be able to cope? The crowds, the endless hype, the inevitable transport chaos – I’m sure I’m not alone in considering a long holiday with the family instead.
But one thing that has occurred to me is how the initially much-reviled 2012 logo has, despite all the name-calling, become iconic. It’s not just that it’s been plastered on every surface in every tube station in London for what feels like decades: the logo’s come to represent something about our approach to the Games, a world away from the self-conscious nationalism of Beijing’s emblem, or the slick, futuristic feel of Turin’s Winter Games design. One thing all these different emblems do successfully is build on the instantly recognisable Olympic rings, a perfect example of simplicity becoming iconic. (Bear with me, my inner design nerd is emerging!)
The rings were designed by the founder of the modern Games, Pierre de Coubertin, in 1912 – so they’re not, as has sometimes been assumed, an ancient Greek symbol brought up to date. But the design is, as it happens, at least partly based on an idea of Carl Jung’s. Jung felt that the ring symbolised the human being, and continuity – so as well as representing the world’s nations coming together to compete, the rings are a neat symbol of how individuals have to collaborate to achieve great things.
You could also see it as a symbol of diversity. One of the key lessons that Lumina has taught me is never to assume that I know everything about someone – whether it’s a life-long friend or someone I’m just meeting them for the first time. The rings might not correspond exactly to the colours we use in Lumina Spark (one too many – what was Jung thinking?!) but they’re a good reminder that every single one of us is a complex of different energies.
Some people may be dominated by their commanding, sociable aspects; others might be cautious and detail-focused. Recognising these different character traits, and making sure they’re working together in harmony – whether in terms of your own personal development or in terms of managing others – is probably the single most important skill a leader can learn. And once you’ve done that, great things can start to happen.
Let your true colours shine through> Find out more about Lumina Spark here
