Lessons for businesses from Serena Williams

Serena Williams

By Archana Kasturi Mudali and Shamanthi Jayawardena

For Serena Williams’ supporters, last Sunday was a disappointing end to what was meant to be a record-breaking 24th Grand Slam at the US Open 2019.

Despite this, it is most opportune to reflect on Serena Williams’ legacy both on and off the court as she continues to strive to prove to herself and to the world that she’s still got what it takes to win a Grand Slam. Her unyielding spirit makes it easy to draw parallels between her tennis career and business ventures inspiring many entrepreneurs.

When the Williams sisters played professional tennis back in the 1990s, they ushered in a new era of women’s tennis. For a sport which was dominated at the net, power-playing became the new norm. The overpowering groundstrokes curated by the Williams sisters created a fundamental paradigm shift in the game in which players not only have to build defensive resilience but also forge radical gameplay tactics if they were to survive in the sport. 

Just as the Williams sisters boldly took advantage of what they were good at, a successful business owner will invest more resources in perfecting their strengths. Serena has had many powerful moments, which often includes catching up to her opponents when many would have given up, demonstrating her grit and will to win. 

In that journey of moulding strengths to disrupt the status quo, it is a tragedy to disqualify outlandish goals as unprecedented because there is always room for improvement and believing in your ‘muscle’ or whatever you define it to be, is your best bet at winning. Thus, it is important, now more than ever, that businesses be audacious to put forward new unconventional ideas and find the nerve to become robust in their implementation. 

Women’s tennis has witnessed highs and lows for almost every player since the advent of the rigorous power game and it’s quite intriguing that the men’s singles championship title for the last decade in Grand Slam history have been tossed between a mere six players whereas a staggering nineteen women’s singles Grand Slam champions have been produced during the same time period. 

Arguably, if one were to compare the state of business with tennis, start-ups and new-age digital businesses are like women’s tennis. They are dynamic, fresh and create a sense of unpredictability whereas the traditional business models are similar to men’s tennis. They are obvious, deeply gratifying and consistent. In an ideal world, a successful business would marry all of these attributes. 

With the revolution of the internet and mobile technologies, delivering outstanding customer experience is at the forefront and heart of all business. It is no longer an outlier, but a hygiene factor. Therefore, as much as it is important for managers and leaders to think outside the box, it is imperative for them to understand the indistinguishable factors in conducting business and ace them. 

Regardless of the age and scale of business, today’s managers and leaders must treat external change positively and create a cultural mindset internally that is adequately flexible to respond well to such change.

While it may be unfathomable to appreciate business advice from a professional tennis player to some, she has demonstrated to millennials what it truly means to challenge the status quo which requires departing from a narrow focus of one’s abilities and interests. 

Diversifying her business portfolio, she stepped into the world of fashion and launched her fashion label, Serena. Sports and fashion are not mutually exclusive as they have been closely used in marketing for years. However, what truly differentiates her from her peers is that for years athletes have been endorsing other fashion brands, never having built their own. This marks her as a true visionary off the court and an astute businesswoman. 

Having a lateral mindset with clear vision is one of the fundamental facets of starting and managing a business. A vision statement creates a purpose for the existence of an organisation and it is the inspiration that executives continuously look for when the business deviates from its elemental cause. 

However, it must not be concrete because the achievement of the original vision means that you develop a new one and strive even harder for its accomplishment. The continuously evolving business ethos commands leaders to be visionary in terms of setting a moving target and be nimble in its fulfilment.

Whether you are a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned business mogul, conducting business has never been this challenging, rewarding or exciting. At times like this, we often look for inspiration and absorb learnings from places which move us the most. Perhaps sports is one such source.

Archana Kasturi Mudali is undertaking postgraduate studies. Shamanthi Jayawardena is a marketing professional undertaking postgraduate studies at Victoria University of Wellington