Recently, I heard snippets of a commencement speech given by legendary tennis player Roger Federer to graduates at Dartmouth University in the United States.
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.
One of the greatest tennis players of all time, Federer told the graduating class of 2024 that he won almost 80% of matches in his career – but only 54% of points for which he competed.
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 for which you played. 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 won eight times.
MENTAL FORTITUDE
Federer’s mental fortitude made me think about how I approach my own life and my wins and losses.
As CEO of the Development Bank of Namibia, 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 presents its own 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 don’t always align with yours.
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 author John C Maxwell spoke about: ‘Sometimes You Win – Sometimes You Learn’.
This has become my mantra.
INVALUABLE INSIGHTS
It has allowed me some peace of mind, and I have my son to thank for this insight.
He 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 my teenage son was able to inspire me like this.
Mental resilience is essential if you want to be successful in life.
If Roger Federer had quit tennis because he only won 54% of the points for which he competed, he would never have won 20 Grand Slam titles.
I am trying hard to internalise the mantra of ‘Sometimes You Win – Sometimes You Learn’, and to stay focused on DBN’s long-term strategy and goals.
It is the only way to maintain your competitive edge and prolong your winning streak.
- *John Steytler is chief executive officer of the Development Bank of Namibia. This article is written in his personal capacity.
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