You may not know who Toni Nadal is but you certainly have heard of his famous nephew, legendary tennis superstar Rafael Nadal winner of 21 Grand Slam titles. Toni became Rafael’s coach at 8-years-old and his no-nonsense disciplined approach became a critical component in his nephew’s success.
As detailed on pages 114-115 in L. Jon Wertheim’s book Strokes Of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played, Uncle Toni was happy to coach and mentor Rafael but had a few ground rules.
These ground rules give us a template that all up-and-coming leaders must be willing to learn.
Up-And-Coming Leaders Must Be Willing To Learn Respect
Toni told Rafael, “If you ever throw a racket, we’re finished. They’re expensive, and when you throw a racket you don’t just disrespect the sport, you disrespect all the people who can’t afford equipment.” What a great way to fight entitlement in a young leader’s life.
Up-And-Coming Leaders Must Be Willing To Learn Accountability
This is one of the most difficult things young leaders must learn. In fact, it is difficult for all leaders. Toni added, “Losing is part of competing. You will lose. And when you lose, it’s not going to be my fault or the fault of your racket of the balls or the courts or the weather. It is your fault, and you will accept it. Too many people in this world make excuses for their problems. You take responsibility and try and do better next time. That’s all.” Losing is part of competing. What a great lesson!
Up-And-Coming Leaders Must Be Willing To Learn How To Properly Leverage Fun
Not only do leaders have to learn how to properly handle failure, but they need to also learn how to effectively leverage the good times. Toni continued, “Have fun. When you stop enjoying this, it’s not good. You’ll find something else that gives you pleasure.” Fun is the fuel that gives us the impetus to continue moving on as leaders. Furthermore, a leader who does not celebrate or have fun is a leader not worth following.
Up-And-Coming Leaders Must Be Willing To Learn The Value Of Hard Work
Finally, Toni had another life lesson for Rafael on page 116. At only 8-years-old, Rafael had just won the under-twelve division for all of Spain. Looking at a list of previous champions, Toni asked the young prodigy, “How many names do you recognize?” Rafael replied with a shrug, “Not many.” Toni then said, “Exactly.” It was a reminder that winning a junior title meant nothing for long-term success. Toni was reminding Rafael that he must continue to work hard and continually improve moving forward.
Conclusion
As a young leader, you may have all the talent in the world. But if you don’t learn respect, accountability, how to leverage fun, and the value of hard work, your success will be short-term.
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Therefore, the fundamentals of leadership are more important than ever. The quotes in this book deal with the basics of leadership. If you want to be the best leader you can possibly be, click HERE or on the image provided to download this FREE resource. The lessons learned from last year, if applied, will sustain you for years to come.