Thursday, July 11, 2024
A Leadership Lesson from Wimbledon
Emma Navarro’s successful run to the quarterfinals was personally unprecedented. With wins over world No. 2 Coco Gauff and four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka, I was rooting for the former UVA star to win it all.
Then Emma ran into a buzzsaw (as we all do at times) against Italian speedster Jasmine Paolini. On the surface (no pun intended), falling short after such big wins looks like failure…of course, it’s not.
The challenge is: How do you define success?
When we define success purely by outcomes and “center court” ceremonies, we set ourselves up for mental anguish.
Did you know that there were 128 women in the Wimbledon singles draw at the outset? Only one is left standing.
There’s no doubt that Emma Navarro is disappointed that she’s not playing in today’s semi-finals match. Disappointment and frustration are signs of a healthy competitor. It means you care. You also understand that…
You can do everything right and still get things wrong.
You can play your best tennis and still not win the tournament.
At the end of the day, perspective wins matches, wins events, wins careers.
6 Rewards of Having the Right Mindset
#1: You build confidence.
#2: You learn lessons.
#3: You find a new opportunity.
#4: You develop your resilience muscles.
#5: You gain experience and wisdom.
#6: You identify your next stage of growth.
I love this quote by podcaster and action sports photographer Chase Jarvis who said: “When you create, you’re not just creating art or a product or a business, you’re creating possibilities.”
For Emma Navarro, the possibilities are endless. As they are for you.
Are you ready?…Let’s go!
