"The Inner Game of Tennis" for Entrepreneurs

Key points:

Timothy Gallwey’s “Inner Game of Tennis” came out in 1974 and sparked a revolution in coaching and how athletes should approach improving their performance. Entrepreneurs can use several lessons to improve their personal performance and coach others.

The inner game is about self-mastery. And the path to self-mastery starts with humility because the humble are willing to observe and listen. As Wynton Marsalis observed: “the humble improve.” This is a tough challenge for any entrepreneur. You have to have the courage of your convictions in starting a new business, but you have to be alert to what you can learn by observing and listening to prospects, customers, partners, competitors, employees, and others.

The Usual Way of Learning:

+ Criticize or Judge Past Behavior

+ Tell Yourself to Change, Instructing with Word Commands Repeatedly

+ Try Hard; Make Yourself Do It Right

+ Critical Judgment about Results Leading to Repetition of Process

The Inner Came Way of Learning

+ Observe Existing Behavior

+ Ask Yourself to Change, Programming with Image and Feel. No commands are used.

+ Let it Happen!

+ Nonjudgmental, Calm Observation of the Results: Leading to Continuing Observation of Process until Behavior Is Automatic.