With the Olympics underway, which of these top five athletic archetypes fits you best?

We’ve all been there and seen it happen to colleagues: working late, failing to delegate, not being able to keep away from emails or working through the weekend. But what do these traits really tell us? 

New research from Opus Energy has found that our most common working style is not too far away from our Olympic heroes’ disciplines. 

When business decision makers were asked how they managed their energy levels throughout the working day, 70 per cent of management revealed they fail to delegate, while 62 per cent checked their emails constantly throughout the day.

Almost half have worked through a weekend, due to work commitments. What’s more, 74 per cent say that their relationships with their partner, friends or family have been affected by working long hours.

When thinking about what success looked like, respondents stated that the reputation of the company and their own success were the most important things to them.

This archetypal ‘weightlifter’ attitude is evidenced in the fact that they barely take a break, with only 15 per cent saying they pace themselves by going for a walk during the day.

Rising to the top of your field in any discipline doesn’t come easy. This can have consequences in our personal life, potentially causing us to burn out and making it difficult to keep personal lives and work separate. 

Working long hours and trying to get involved with everything takes up a huge amount of energy, but ultimately, as with sports professionals, it’s all worth it in the end.

Who is your inner Olympian? Take the quiz.

1.       The weightlifter: takes the responsibility of the whole company on their shoulders. They get involved in every aspect of the business, from finding new business, to strategy, and everything else in between

2.       The archer: has their eye on the future vision of their company and the targets required for the quickest way to get there with the least amount of fuss. They understand that nurturing their business requires their employees to be motivated, inspired and happy in their work

3.       The pole vaulter: is constantly raising the bar for themselves and for their colleagues. They are excellent delegators, preferring to focus on strategy rather than day-to-day tasks

4.       The decathlete: loves a challenge. Sometimes they’re not sure where work ends and home begins, but, for a decathlete, it’s worth it for the feeling of satisfaction at the end

5.       The sprinter: is prone to sudden bursts of energy and inspiration, which leaves them running miles ahead of their competitors. They’re so caught up with always moving forward that sometimes they forget to look back and see if their business is keeping up