READ TIME – 5 MINUTES
It’s that time of year when tennis superstars gather at one of the landmark tournaments in the calendar year.
Not only is it a fantastic spectacle for tennis fans, but it also provides many valuable lessons to all businesses.
Sports provide many valuable lessons for business leaders, but tennis in particular provides some interesting thoughts rarely found in other sports.
So as we settle down to watch the best of the best, here are 5 business lessons we can all learn from The Wimbledon Championships.
Surround Yourself With The Right People
On the surface, tennis is a very lonely game.
As viewers, all we see are two professionals trying to top each other for hours. Whilst gripping, we don’t see involvement with others as we do with different sports.
However, there is a lot more that goes into tennis than the two athletes on the court.
Each player has a team of experts surrounding them that help with all aspects of their game. Those in a support team may include:
- Coaches
- Medical Staff
- Psychiatrists
There is a huge team behind the scene, and each of them contribute to their success.
Building a strong team and creating a great company culture are business lessons you should already implement.
Business success stems from placing the right people into the correct roles, utilising their skills and creating strong bonds.
By hiring people with the appropriate skills and the right attitude, you are putting the foundations in place for many future successes.
Keep Your Eyes On The Prize
Everybody has a motivation that keeps them ticking.
For tennis players, winning grand slams is their motivation, with Wimbledon often being the ultimate goal. Their focus on winning the prize is all-consuming and helps them go through the peaks and troughs throughout their career.
Similarly, business leaders need goals that will help them drive both themselves and others forward.
These goals should be desirable but also achievable over short periods.
Winning Wimbledon may be the ultimate prize, but tennis players will have other milestones they aspire to achieve in their careers.
Don’t lose sight of the ultimate goal whilst also setting achievable milestones.
Build Resilience
Behind each successful individual is a story of dedication, hard work and resilience.
Nobody wants to feel defeated, and failing to achieve your goals will sting.
However, the strongest characters will show when they achieve their goals after overcoming a tricky obstacle.
Take Andy Murray as an example.
He lost the 2012 Men’s Wimbledon final – a match that could’ve crushed him. However, through grit and determination, he bounced back and took gold in the London 2012 Olympics before winning Wimbledon a year later after defeating Novak Djokovic.
Your business can also learn to bounce back from defeats.
Sometimes we will put extra effort into a project without seeing the desired outcome. Whilst disheartening, these are valuable business lessons you can learn from moving forward.
Implement plans to combat potential stumbling blocks, find alternative solutions and persevere past checkpoints to help you build resilience.
Evaluate and Evolve
The final goal is very rarely achieved the first time around.
Obtaining the best results and ticking all boxes takes time, effort and adaptation.
This is true of both tennis and business.
Tennis players constantly evaluate their performance by reviewing tactics, analysing movement and discussing what doesn’t work.
They then implement these changes in their next match to (hopefully) see improved results.
These are business lessons you can incorporate yourself.
If you’ve hot quite hit your targets or met marks, understand why and make the required changes to see improvements next time.
These changes may be learning and development, a new business strategy or some extra helping hands.
Be Brave
The greatest tennis players are the ones who took risks and made in-the-moment decisions.
Whether it’s a shot next to the net, a surprise serve or a risky backhand shot, those who show bravery have often reaped the rewards.
These are business lessons you can embed into your work.
The best decisions often come from trusting our gut and doing what we feel is right. Whether it’s making a big purchase, having a staff reshuffle or implementing a new strategy, sometimes you just need to do it.
You took a step into the unknown when you started your business and you can do it again when implementing change!
Don’t be afraid to take risks and try to work outside of your normal boundaries.
Learning Business Lessons From Wimbledon
Hopefully, you now understand the similarities between tennis and business.
Both are filled with difficult decisions, mass support and rewarding outcomes if you put the work in.
So as you enjoy two weeks of world-class tennis, think of the lessons you could learn from the entertainment on display.
If your business requires training, learning or development, contact AvA-V for a bespoke training programme developed by our experts.