Similar to every other human being, I have my set of preferences which I hold dear to my heart. The first on the list is dedicated to eternal love for sports. The moot discipline I hone on a daily basis is derived from basketball and Tennis. Where the whoosh of the ball through the net holds a special charm for me, tennis is the other thing that dominated my childhood from the age of 6. Believe it or not, my business acumen has sharpened a lot, at the behest of these sports.
I see a great lesson of similarity between the two avenues- you can stand there and dribble, or you can drive down the basketball court through the obstacles and score. Here are some of the lessons from the games of tennis and basketball that I heartily commend to you to become a better business professional. Enjoy!
If you want to be great, give in extra
To achieve anything great in life, be it in personal or professional sphere, you have to set yourself apart from the rest. To be better in my game, I practice on a constant basis, even at the most difficult situation. I push myself on a daily basis and tackle tricky assignments to uncover my fullest potential. It gives me comfort to know that I was working on my game when others were not. The logic is simple – if you can operate in these hard situations – game time would be much easier.
Recruit/develop highly capable players
Sports is a collaborative effort and it is the strength of the entire team that makes a valuable difference. Some may be efficient dribblers, others shooter and one may be the finest point guard in the world. So, get the right people on the bus to get you to the top. Wisely recruit the best talent to fit the strategy and existing strengths/weaknesses of your team. Both my sports and organizational team consist of the cream of the crop- in terms of agility, flexibility and skills.
Understand what your team currently has and what you need and hire to take your team ahead of the race.
Seek out the best coaches and learn
The coach of our team is a person that I greatly look up to- he knows the pulse of the game and the heartbeat of the team. I’ve come across the greatest thought-leaders who have helped me groom my brand of business.
Today, I still seek out experts to learn from and build relationships with in nearly everything I do. It is imperative to have a role-model/mentor to emulate on a low-key level, in order to grow.
The game strategy of both, the sports and business, turns better with age. So, with time and expertise I have learnt to master both the worlds and assimilate them for my benefit.
Author is the CEO of SalezShark Inc., who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment during his 14 years’ experience. His experience of management goes hand in hand with his enthusiastic approach towards business transformation.
Find him on LinkedIn here.
