Recently, I heard snippets of a commencement speech that the legendary tennis player, Roger Federer, gave to the graduates at Dartmouth University, USA. Anything Roger has to say should be listened to; he is, after all, one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
Apart from his humble demeanor 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 matches in his career – but just 54% of all 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 8 times.
The mental fortitude Roger Federer displayed 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 organization 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 organizations 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 very demanding towards 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 downward.
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 told me that 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 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 realize that 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 he was competing for, he would never have won 20 Grand Slam titles.
I am trying very hard to internalize the mantra of “Sometimes You Win—Sometimes You Learn,” and 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.
* Dr. John Steytler writes in his personal capacity
