The sun is coming out, the evenings are long and it feels like time for strawberries and cream…that can only mean one thing! Wimbledon is near!
As a Club player this is a very special time of the year, where the Clay court season ends and the grass court season begins.
The game of tennis is, on the one hand, genteel and gracious and on the other hand, gladiatorial and isolating.
The Inner Game
So, what’s happening on the tennis court…what helps performance and what hinders it. When it comes to skill and fitness levels, I’m sure there is very little to choose between the top 10, 20 players in the world. So, what gives some players the edge? And what principles might be transferable to leadership and performance in the world of work? Timothy Galwey’s “Inner Game of Tennis” is a widely acclaimed guide to mental performance and is very helpful in unravelling this question.
Galwey suggests that there are two games taking place…the outer game played against an opponent and the inner game played in one’s own mind against self-doubt, anxiety and other internally generated interference. I think anyone who has played tennis or engaged in any similar activity will be familiar with this concept. Not to mention the frustration that comes with ‘beating yourself’ rather than losing to your opponent.
He breaks the mind into “Self-1” (the conscious mind) and “Self-2” (the unconscious mind). Self-1 does the telling and is the inner critic and judge. Self-2 is the intuitive self and can perform well without constant intervention from Self 1. To perform or lead well, the task is to quieten Self 1 and let Self 2 take control. Or put another way, turn down the “judge” and focus on what’s actually happening, trust the training you have put in, be present…in a state of flow.
I’m an average Club player and returned to playing the game in my mid-40s, having played as a teenager. Over several years I made a few local Club finals at my level, but I managed to defeat myself, through unhelpful Self 1 interference. My inner critic was asking “what if you have four double faults in a row…in the first game”; “what if you lose the first set 6-0 and you’re humiliated” …I think you get the picture! Then, I had what could be called a breakthrough when I accepted that my mind could accommodate two thoughts at once! I’m anxious and I’m excited. And that’s ok. No tussle. No denial. Self-1 quieter. And finally, a couple of things happened. I won a few (at my level) Club finals…and importantly, I enjoyed those matches.
Nadal
Looking at leading and preforming, (and remember leaders perform), through a different tennis lens, I watched the Netflix series on Rafa Nadal recently. While not surprised, I was struck by how hard he trained and the level of suffering that he was willing to endure, and I took three learnings away:
- There are no ‘silver bullets’. Yes, there is natural talent (genes), circumstances and luck. But the only piece we can control is the ‘hard work’ element.
- While tennis presents as a very individual sport, it’s also a team game. Watch every winner’s speech and you will notice the part with the greatest emotion and gratitude is usually when the player talks about their team.
- Competition is about realising yourself. In the case of the young Nadal, the opponent who created the most difficulty for him was Roger Federer (my favourite…for another article!). But Federer, through competition, helped Nadal improve and over time, vice-versa…and then came Djokovic, and the cycle continued.
The World of Work
So how do tennis stories translate to the world of work, when you are part of a team or leading a team?
- Put in the training and the hard work, then turn down the ‘tell’ and ‘micromanaging’ and ‘directing’, turn up the ‘trust’.
- Turn down the inner critic and turn up the acceptance…it’s ok to be concerned, worried, excited. We are human, it’s part of the deal. Accept these thoughts rather than resisting and over-focussing on them. Don’t allow them to derail you…and others. Lead authentically…there’s only one you!
- Understand that challenge and competition help us bring the best out in ourselves and our team.
- Being inter-dependent is a strength. Nobody has all the answers, The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Ask Nadal!
Yes, it really is possible to “Lead Without Making a Racket”.
Now, strawberries and cream for anyone!