Lose the Game, Win the Match

I recently heard snippets of a speech the legendary tennis player Roger Federer gave graduates at Dartmouth University, United States (US).

Anything Federer has to say should be listened to. He is, after all, one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

Apart from his humble demeanour and inspirational words, what struck me and truly fascinated me as a ‘statistics geek’, for want of a better description, was the insight into his winning ways.

He told the graduating class of 2024 that he won almost 80% of the matches in his career – but just 54% of points he competed for.

I found that to be an astounding statistic and it put certain things into perspective. The margins between winning and losing are exceptionally small. Imagine losing 46% of all the points you are playing for.

How did Federer not have a complete breakdown? More importantly, how did he mentally recover from that during a game? Let alone throughout a tournament like Wimbledon, which he has won eight times.

The mental fortitude Federer has displayed made me think of how I approach my own life and my wins and losses. As chief executive of the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN), I need to keep many balls in the air. I need to ensure our mission, vision and goals are met, always focusing on the future goals of our organisation and those of Namibia.

Every day poses challenges, conundrums and obstacles that must be overcome. This can be difficult, as not everyone you engage with has the same agenda.

That does not mean other organisations or people are actively working against you or the DBN, it simply means their goals, mission and vision do not always align with ours.

It also means you cannot come out on top in every meeting or negotiation. As someone who is very demanding of myself, that is sometimes an issue.

However, if you start overthinking every hurdle and challenge rather than thinking about how to improve next time, you will spiral downwards.

I’ve been trying to embrace the concept that John C Maxwell, the author, spoke about – sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.

This has become a mantra for me.

It has allowed me some peace of mind and I have my son to thank for this insight.

He has told me you can’t win every battle, but you can get up and be ready to fight another day.

If you learn from every battle, you come out stronger and more focused, which is what the DBN needs.

Getting into a positive mindset after a setback can be difficult, but that is where mental fortitude, a strong support system and determination come in. It fills me with pride to realise that my teenage son was able to inspire me like this.

Mental resilience is essential if you want to be successful in life.

If Federer had quit tennis because he only won 54% of the points he was competing for, he would never have won 20 Grand Slam titles.

I am trying very hard to internalise the mantra of ‘sometimes you win, sometimes you learn’ and stay focused on the DBN’s long-term strategy and goals.

It is the only way to maintain your competitive edge and prolong your winning streak.

• John Steyler is the chief executive of the Develpoment Bank of Namibia. This piece was written in his personal capacity.