ANDY Murray’s magnificent victory at the US Open; inevitably brought immense cheer to British public, which had been waiting several decades for that very moment. But perhaps more significantly, in overcoming Novak Djokovic, Murray relinquished the rather unfair sobriquet of ‘choker’, hopefully once and for all.
In a harsh world ever eager to affix labels, Murray has etched a shining example, of what it takes, to shed this-the most dreadful of all tags. Incessant references made to it, by the media and the general public, seldom help the person concerned.
It is a situation where the team or the individual, has to dig really deep to overcome these barriers, which seem to only grow taller with every subsequent failure. Often they nip many a promising career in the bud, on the field and off it.
Hence Murray’s triumph is not just a sporting one, but one which shows the immense possibilities of the human spirit and mind. And for those in the corporate world, facing similar conundrums, it uncovers a few insights, which just might serve as the aces up one’s sleeve, when doubt and despair raise ugly and probing existential questions.
The power of self-belief
Over the last few years, the pressure on Murray has been humongous. This usually reaches a crescendo, during the Wimbledon fortnight. Every cab driver to aristocrat, seem to think that this will be the year, where Murray will end the British jinx on grass. Whenever he faltered, under the weight of those expectations; surely his confidence must have ebbed. But this is perhaps where Murray is different from his predecessors. There has always been a quiet calm and a steely determination about him. He always seemed to exude a self-belief, that eventually he would not be denied. And that is a trait which usually sets champions apart.
Even in the corporate world, getting to the winner’s podium, is an extremely elusive pursuit. Often such forays are extremely long drawn, marked with more setbacks, than victories. And frequently it is those employees and teams, which retain their sense of confidence and direction, in the face of repeated failures, that eventually rise to the top. The example of Murray proves unequivocally again, that the drive on the road to triumph; is always powered by the engine of self-belief.
The ability to bounce back
A mere few weeks ago, Murray had endured the bitter taste of failure, yet again. And this was a particularly devastating one, as it came on his home turf, contesting his first Wimbledon final. As Federer clawed his way back in that match, and won his seventh title; Murray must have been left wondering, when he would ever manage his first. But in true champion style, he quickly put that setback behind him. As a great boxer once quipped, ‘being a winner is not about how many times you get knocked down, but how quickly you pick yourself up’. Murray was up and full of fight, almost instantly after Wimbledon.
In organizational settings, it is often the most abject failure, which hides away the prospect of the greatest success, just on its tail. At such times, the reframing of the failure, as a ‘positive learning experience’, is of utmost importance. The ability to try and seek, what else of interest might have been uncovered, is also a critical mindset to develop. Frequently when such is the perspective of the concerned team, success is always looking to make an eventual appearance.
The arrival at a tipping point
Andy Murray is unlikely to ever forget the London Olympics. It gave him the immense pride of winning a gold medal for Great Britain. Importantly, it also enabled him to seek revenge for his shattering Wimbledon loss, by overcoming the same opponent- Roger Federer, in the title match. Critically perhaps, it also served as a landmark tipping point, as far as his career goes.
This victory, gave him the unstinting belief that a Grand Slam win, was surely only around the corner. Many sports legends reflect back to a similar breakthrough moment in their careers, beyond which winning championships became an easier affair. The London Games then possibly put Murray on the path of gold standards.
Likewise even corporate life is no alien to the concept of this tipping point. Consider prodigious employees making the transition to the realization of their latent potential. Picture the quest for market domination, which suddenly takes off, after a long period of trial and tribulation. Usually these upward surges can be traced back to one crucial moment, where barriers were finally broken, and there was just a glimpse of what was possible. Understanding this, might just help leaders catalyze and foster these moments, more abundantly.
The tutelage of someone who’s been there
Finally in retrospect, it can be said that Murray’s career took a decisive turn, after his association with former tennis legend Ivan Lendl began. Few people would have been able to empathize with Murray’s predicament better, than Lendl. Himself a player, who kept knocking at the doors of greatness; until a turning point presented itself at the 1985 US Open. And Lendl never looked back post that. Perhaps Murray’s similar triumph seventeen years later, might give him an opportunity to ‘Czech’ into a similar great future.
The role of guiding mentors in modern business environments; simply cannot be stressed enough. In dealing with high pressure moments, and living up to excessive expectations, few things can help as much as having access to the counsel of someone, who has been there and done that. Thus the more organizations realize the need to develop formal and informal mentoring avenues, the greater their chances of truly unleashing the full potential of the employee base that lies within.
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Eventually as the Grand Slam season ends, the next year holds the prospect of yet another established contender. Such a spirit of a more spread out competition can only be better for the game. And in witnessing the emergence of fresher champions, one just might find compelling strokes to add to one’s own repertoire of management thought. For in watching newer human triumphs render themselves, we can surely appreciate their message, of inspiring us to rise in our very own lives…
