As Andy Murray powers through the first week of Wimbledon, all eyes are on the Scot to see if he can keep his hard-worn Wimbledon crown from last summer. His physical prowess and skill has never been in doubt for the sportsman, but as with all great performances, it’s emotional grit that makes all the difference when it comes to the crunch.
Some would have said it was the influence of Ivan Lendl, Murray’s former coach, that gave him the mental tenacity he needed to overcome the psychological block which seemed to prevent him from taking the trophy. So when he and Lendl split, fans had to question whether he was losing the one person who’d managed to give him the grit he needed to win.
Murray, however, would say differently.
The Scot is quoted in the press about Lendl’s coaching style, saying ‘you can’t just be pushed extremely hard every single day’. What Murray decided he needed to continue to succeed, was a coach who would bring an emotional quotient to his game.
Enter Amélie Mauresmo. In a game dominated by big hitting style, employing a female coach introduces an extra element. She’s a listener, and together, Murray and Mauresmo have the potential to develop the tennis champion’s talents in a more collaborative and emotionally intelligent way. There’s no doubt that Murray has the physical strength to succeed, but his new coach brings with her elements from the women’s game, where clever play takes precedence over strength, bringing strategy, thoughtfulness, and calculation to Murray’s game. It’s a canny move.
As well as having physical dominance on the court, Murray is adding emotional strength to his game, a fact he acknowledged to the Guardian newspaper: ‘If you are not mentally prepared for the matches to get more challenging, if you just think everything will be the same as it was in the first week and you are playing well enough, then you will have a problem because you are complacent.’
EQ is Murray’s secret weapon.
Of course in business, strategy, thoughtfulness, and calculated decisions, are also vital to success. Without using emotional intelligence many businesses suffer. Repeatedly we find in our work with organisations that as we work with you to strengthen the emotional quotient in your people, it leads to co-operative and collaborative teams, who co-operate to reach your business objectives. Everyone moves together.
And when like Murray hopefully will next weekend, you succeed, everyone who has shared in the hard work, also shares in the glory of success. It’s a win-win for business.