I used to be a sumo wrestler in Japan.
Yup, Im not kidding.
I lived in Tokyo, in a house with 30 of the strongest sumo wrestlers in the world.
We did everything together: lived, trained, and ate.
My time in the sumo house has taught me a lot.
So heres why you need a sumo wrestler in your team.
I had my fair share of defeats during my time in the sumo house.
But with defeat comes humility.
And in that humility, I found growth.
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And being able to admit your mistakes to yourself and others is a superpower.
Humility takes strength and ultimately gets you a lot of respect, both at home and in the office.
Sumo wrestlers are humble, know their position within an organization, and understand that admitting mistakes is precious.
Because mistakes that are denied, covered up, or blamed on someone else will never be repaired.
In humility, youll find a winning strategy.
For yourself, your colleagues, and your entire organization.
Sumo wrestlers are flexible
You might not know this, but sumo wrestlers are flexible,extremelyflexible.
Jump into a split and touch the ground with their nose?
A cakewalk for a sumo wrestler.
Unfortunately, despite the rigorous training program, I never achieved this physical flexibility.
However,mentally, I was like a loose rubber band after my period in the sumo house i.e.
as flexible as one gets.
I still apply this in my professional career on a daily basis.
Because you should waste as little energy as possible on things you cant control.
Theres one important caveat though.
In Japan I let myself be carried along endlessly since I had no choice.
But in my Western work environment, I often hit the brakes.
Because even fresh rubber bands can snap.
And a snapped sumo wrestler on the floor is no fun for anyone.
Sumo wrestlers are curious
Curiosity is an essential skill in the office.
After all, without curiosity, you cultivate an environment of misunderstanding.
The same goes for a Dutch guy trying to survive a house full of sumo wrestlers.
All without any explanation.
When things like these happen to you, its very easy to view your lack of understanding negatively.
In the sumo house, the answer was usually incredibly simple: hierarchy.
Sumo wrestling taught me to always stay curious and investigate.
And, especially at the office, to look for thecauseof certain decisions or behaviors.
This saves a lot of frustration and the cooperation with colleagues gets better every day.
So, every team needs a sumo wrestler.
They create an environment of more mutual respect and understanding.
They are not afraid to admit their failures and theyre perfect at setting and monitoring boundaries.
Ok, granted, there might be some drawbacks to hiring 350-pound sumo wrestlers.
Story byJesse Moerkerk
Jesse was a sumo wrestler in Japan.
