Effortless is a Myth
WMMM #068 - This week I share lessons from an unlikely source.
Jeff Keplar Newsletter June 29, 2024 6 min read
Left home at 14.
Quit school at 16.
Never attended college.
When reviewing each task that defines his work, we see that he fails nearly half the time.
Now 42 years of age, he is unemployed.
The Class of 2024
When June rolls around each year, we are blessed with an abundance of messages that offer insight, wisdom, perspective, influence, and motivation.
The source?
Commencement Speeches.
Some are especially memorable, such as Steve Jobs' iconic 2005 address at Stanford and Admiral McRavin's 2014 speech at the University of Texas.
We easily recall: "...You are already naked…you have nothing to lose…"
And who will ever forget: "You wanna change the world? Start by making your bed."
One of the Class of 2024 jewels is Roger Federer's address at Dartmouth's graduation.
Unlikely Speaker
Roger appears a little nervous in the video of his speech.
You can hear it in his voice.
It's because this event meant so much to him.
As he confesses to his audience:
He never went to college
This was only his second time even setting foot on a college campus
He hasn't given many speeches
He is humbled by the school's gesture to award him an honorary Doctorate.
But his emotions do not deter from the impact of his message.
Roger shares that being chosen as the Dartmouth Class of 2024 Commencement Speaker is his "most unexpected victory ever."
He quit school at 16 to play tennis full-time and retired from the pro tour in 2022 at 42.
Effortless is a Myth
If you have watched a television broadcast of a Roger Federer tennis match, you will recognize the term "effortless."
The announcers loved to say that Fed played "effortlessly."
And "he barely broke a sweat."
They meant it as a complement.
"Effortless" reaches a whole different level in person.
I have witnessed Roger playing tennis in person several times.
The most intimate setting, where I stood on the court, occurred at Indian Wells in Palm Springs, CA.
Indian Wells hosts the BNP Paribas Open every March.
The tournament is the largest combined ATP Masters and WTA 1000 event on the annual professional tennis calendar.
The Indian Wells Tennis Garden offers fans unique access to the players' practice courts.
You can choose to sit on bleachers directly behind each court.
Or, you can walk right up between the courts and stand and watch the players do their thing.
That's what I did one year.
The practice courts were packed with some of the top professional players in the world.
Serena Williams had a court.
So did David Ferrer of Spain, Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, and Phillip Kohlschreiber of Germany.
Stevie Johnson and Ryan Harrison, US Davis Cuppers, were there as well.
They all had their coaches and a hitting partner to practice with.
Fed was hitting with Stan Wawrinka that afternoon.
Stan is no ordinary hitting partner.
He is a three-time Grand Slam champion in his own right and formerly ranked #3 in the world.
Stan and Fed were doubles partners on the Swiss Davis Cup team and the Switzerland Olympic team.
In my position, right on the court surface, you hear things that cannot be heard on Stadium Court.
Things like the sound of the ball when struck directly on the strings with no spin (a "flat" ball), commonly seen with a "smash" or "overhead."
And how that sounds much different from the sound of the strings "cutting" through the ball on a slice backhand.
When players at this level whip a forehand, the hissing sound produced by the strings zipping over and past the ball creates "topspin."
It's not the shoes, Mars
One can also hear the sounds of rubber soles squeaking on the Plexipave acrylic hard court surface.
Created by the players' feet as they quickly dart up and back and sideline to sideline, these pros continuously position themselves to arrive at the moving ball precisely at the right time.
Much like the sound of NBA basketball players' shoes on the hardwood court as they shuffle their feet on defense, this squeaking sound is the sound of effort.
A common mantra from every coach is to "practice as you play."
And from every player on every practice court, I can hear this squeaking.
Except Fed.
He moves as well (or better) than the youngest, fittest players on tour.
Yet, his sneakers are just that.
They sneak.
They don't squeak.
He is so light on his feet that starting and stopping creates no squeak.
The absence of sound is deafening.
Fed is wearing NikeCourt Zoom Vapor 9.5 Flyknit shoes.
Others are wearing the same.
You can buy them at Nike or TennisExpress.
It's not the shoes.
Work hard when no one is watching
This phenomenon only adds to the legend which is Federer.
It also contributes to the description of his play as "effortless."
Roger tells the graduating class that "effortless" is a myth.
He worked extremely hard to enable it to "look so easy."
But he wasn't always the complete professional he eventually became.
He shares a story from early in his career.
He's at the Italian Open.
His opponent tells the press:
"Roger will be the favorite for the first two sets. I will be the favorite after that."
Everyone plays well for the first two sets.
You are fit and fast, and your head is clear and focused.
But then, with an opponent wearing you down, your legs get wobbly, your mind wanders, and discipline begins to fade.
It was a wake-up call for Roger that an opponent felt they had an advantage over him.
Roger became determined to change that.
He worked hard when no one was looking.
He was convinced that he needed to "outwork" his opponents, and he did.
You must believe in yourself, he said, but it must be earned.
He proceeded to earn his belief in himself.
His game reached new levels.
He could now beat the best in the world.
But you don't always feel your strongest or play your best.
He began winning even when he wasn't at his best.
It's only 1 point
In his storied career, Roger played 1526 matches.
He won nearly 80% of them, a staggeringly good record.
Yet, even with this amazing record, Roger only won 54% of the points played.
He shared his perspective of the 2008 Wimbledon Final, which many consider the greatest tennis match ever played.
Roger was going for a record sixth consecutive men's singles title.
His opponent was Rafael Nadal, who had beaten Roger in the French Open Final in straight sets just a few weeks earlier.
Many remember the 5-hour match reaching seven games all in the fifth set as daylight disappeared.
Played on Centre Court, the cathedral of the game, the theater of this match is unmatched in Grand Slam Finals.
While many points in those final two games decided the match (Nadal won), Roger believes the match was decided with the first point.
Roger confessed that he looked across the net at Rafael and saw the man who had just shredded him in Paris in straight sets.
In this Wimbledon Final, the first two sets were Nadal's before Roger knew what hit him.
He was finally able to put Paris behind him and remember that he was the five-time defending champ.
This was grass, not red clay, and he knew how to do this.
He won the following two sets in tiebreakers to set up the dramatic fifth.
But he had waited too long to believe in himself, and Nadal earned and deserved the hard-fought victory.
This loss hit Roger hard.
Never again would he have a chance at history, at six in a row.
He lost his #1 ranking.
He heard those pundits calling this a "changing of the guard."
Roger's time at the top of the game was over.
But it wasn't.
In tennis, perfection is impossible.
When the world #1 loses nearly every other point he plays, it tells us that the game is about dealing with rejection.
You play each point to the best of your ability.
Regardless of the outcome, when it's over, it's behind you.
You are freed to focus on nothing but the next point.
You must bring intensity and clarity to your desired behaviors.
Do not dwell on outcomes.
Relentlessly adapt and grow.
These are life lessons as well.
Whatever game you play in life, you will lose a point, a match, a season, a deal, a job.
There will be ups and downs.
It's natural.
Focus all of your energy on the next point.
Negative energy is wasted energy.
Roger used the 2008 loss to Nadal to propel his game and career to the next level.
He increased his preparation and off-court work.
He put the effort in when no one was looking.
Roger regained the world number-one spot in July 2009 and again in 2010, 2012, and 2018.
Most Likely Speaker
Roger Federer is regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
After 20 Grand Slam singles titles, 8 Wimbledon titles, 2 Olympic medals, and the record for the longest consecutive weeks holding the top world singles ranking (237), Federer retired (“graduated”) from the pro tennis tour on September 15, 2022.
During his 24-year career, he earned over $1 billion in endorsements to go along with over $130m in prize money.
His current net worth is estimated at $550 million.
Lessons Learned
1) Effortless is a myth. The best put the effort in when no one is looking.
2) It's only one point. Perfection is impossible.
3) Negative energy is wasted energy.
Watch the YouTube video of his commencement speech here.
Thank you for reading.
Jeff
When you think “sales leader,” I hope you think of me.
If you like what you read, please share this with a friend.
I offer my help to investors, founders, sales leaders, and their teams.
I possess the skills identified in this article and share them as part of my service.
In my weekly newsletter, Win More, Make More, I provide tips, techniques, best practices, and real-life stories to help you improve your craft.
