The sports industry was one of the most severely affected by the pandemic. After almost a year of cancelled tournaments and events, teams and sporting organizations have slowly been getting back on the field. But as the stands start filling with people, and as stakeholders work hard on ensuring safety alongside delivering the expected experience, the road to normalcy can only be laid through resilience.
At Infosys APAC Confluence 2021, event host Melissa Doyle explored the grit it takes to consistently deliver game-changing results and face whatever’s next, in conversation with two of Australia's most legendary sporting icons: cricketing great Steve Waugh and tennis Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt. An opening address by Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia, laid the foundation of what it took to bring the tennis experience to life in early 2021 and the role Infosys played in the comeback story.
Key Takeaways
Start small to go big
Alongside energy, motivation and resolve, a crucial ingredient of turning things around when your back is against the wall is the ability to break down problems and tackle them one at a time. Setting small goals and giving each one your best is the simplest form of resilience.
Tough out the early days
When we look at the greats, we also look at the combined result of struggle, grit and patience: greatness. Embarking on any new journey can be rough in the beginning, but being receptive to the lessons along the way, learning through adversities, and staying mentally tough is key.
Start by sensing a victory
Whether in sport or enterprise, having the right information at your fingertips is half the game. Just as players can learn from data about their own plays, the field, and the competition, so can companies leverage real-time analytics to sense and respond to disruptive changes.
Be digital but stay human
For all of data’s importance in being responsive, you need to be able to trust your gut instinct and find a balance between human intuition and digital information. The best players are the ones that can switch between plans A, B and C while under pressure, without thinking too much.
The winning mindset for me was always going out there and training with a purpose. You have always got to go out there with some area to work on.
