Lessons from the Hard Court

Birthday Fun Continues at the Rogers Cup

The 40th birthday celebrations continue in my household, but this time it wasn’t for me. It was for my husband, Lemuel! We headed north to Canada (his choice) to celebrate his milestone birthday.

Our trip was a blast, but the highlight was attending the final matches of the Rogers Cup. We saw both the Men’s Doubles and Men’s Singles. The Men’s Singles matches gave us a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch Rafael Nadal and his 200 km/h swing!

Leadership Lessons in Tennis

My first time attending a tennis match was nothing short of incredible. And being a #MovementMaker, I couldn’t help but notice all the leadership lessons to learn from during a match:

Be Polite: Tennis is an incredibly polite sport. I think this is what fascinated me the most! The fans are quiet the entire time the players are putting in work on the court because they are paying attention and allowing the player to concentrate. In life, we often miss out on the best of the people we are with because we are too busy multitasking and not paying attention. We might overtalk a situation or miss an opportunity to hear the rhythm of a person’s life. In tennis, the court is so quiet you can hear the racquet’s swing or the ball dribble on the court. As leaders, we should always find the opportunities to pay attention and listen to not miss out on something new to learn.
You Control Yourself: I was most surprised that tennis is a true individual sport. I knew that there was only one player on each side of the court, but it was shocking to not see a coach sitting courtside with the player. When the player leaves the court to take a swig of water, no one runs up to discuss how they can improve their game. You control yourself, your actions, and your outcome. This is so true for me every day in the workplace.
It’s Not Over, Until It’s Over: Nadal looked strong in the first couple of swings, but it wasn’t over for him. Even after winning the first set, he had to put in more work to earn the win. You see, in tennis it isn’t over until it’s over. The winner must come out on top for two to three sets before earning their medal. Just because you put in the effort to make a strong start doesn’t mean that the hard work stops there!
Anyone Can Be a Champion: The Rogers Cup places the #1 player in the world against a breakthrough star. For the match we attended, Rafael Nadal played Stefanos Tsitsipas on what was Stefanos’ 20th birthday. It would be easy to assume that Nadal would win because of his tenure on the court or years of seniority, but we can’t take these qualifications for granted. At anytime, the breakout star could serve his way to a victory. Stefanos played like he wanted a win, which reminded me that anyone can be placed in a strategic place to go up against a champion. So to all you underdogs and Davids, attack each project full-out because you never know when you might get to take on Goliath.
Cheer for Everyone: The crowd clapped for each of the players when they served well or earned a point. How awesome! Too many times in life we ignore the underdog or we only cheer for our favorite player. Why? Each person is giving their all on the court, so why don’t we build each other up and cheer for the entire community?

The first tennis match occurred in the early 1800s, so clearly the creators knew that leaders turn moments into movements. The sport calls for consistency, capitalizing on the environment, and having laser focus. These are three things that I’ll be applying to my movement building.

What characteristics do you think leaders should have when building movements? Reply in the comment section below, #Firestarter! I hope the next time you say, “Love,” it’s because you’re on track for doing something big. Remember, it’s your time. Own it!