Mental Resilience Like Djokovic: The Hidden Weapon of High-Performing Teams

Coming up in today’s edition:

1. One quick win: to build mental resilience

2. One proven system: to scale to 2 billion users

3. One million-dollar question: to uncover your aspirational self

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1. A QUICK WIN TO BUILD RESILIENCE

Resilience is not sexy.

But it can be the difference between success and failure when times get hard.

Preparing your team for resilience (not just performance) is the hallmark of any great leader.

What makes a business resilient?

• Low (preferably zero) debt

• Low overhead fixed costs

• Substantial cash reserves for unexpected crisis

• Multiple independent products or service lines

• Flexible employees who can handle many responsibilities

• No single point of failure

• Backup systems for all core processes

If you don’t have a plan for any of the points above, now is the time.

Tennis legend, Novak Djokovic, used to suffer from low resilience in the high-pressure moments which made him play safer and caused several famous mid-match collapses 👇

Outside of the techniques in the Djokovic video above, what else makes a person resilient?

• Strong emotional regulation

• A growth mindset

• Maintaining fitness, sleep, and nutrition

• Strong support network

• Willingness to embrace change

• Having a strong “why”

You can also apply the concept of building resilience to your team.

What makes a team resilient?

• Transparent and open communication

• Shared purpose and goals

• Diverse skill sets

• Psychological safety

• Mutual support

• Willingness to pivot strategies and roles

• Continuous feedback and learning

• Contingency strategies for key tasks and roles

• Culture of positivity and trust

Resilience is an underrated quality in business.

Your ability to adjust your strategy and tactics as conditions change can be the difference between survival and disaster.

Assess your team against the criteria above.

Then generate one suggestion to improve on your weakest area 💭 

2. A SYSTEM FROM CHEMISTRY GUARANTEED TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR TEAM

One of the greatest minds of the last century was bullish on the concept of “compound interest”.

Einstein referenced this repetitive process that can magnify gains (compound growth) or expenses over the long-term when in reference to finance, investing and economics.

But what if we applied the same thinking to all areas of our business.

I’ve been fascinated this week with the concept of autocatalysis from the world of chemistry.

Autocatalysis is a compounding process where a system accelerates its own growth or activity using by-products of the previous cycle.

Like a chain reaction that fuels itself.

It is a compounding, positive, self-reinforcing feedback loop. 

In simpler terms, it’s the ultimate feedback loop—small actions or outputs create conditions that drive even bigger outcomes.

But it can be one of the most important levers you can pull within your team/business.

Look around you - these feedback loops are everywhere:

1. Team Collaboration: A team that shares knowledge openly improves everyone’s skills, leading to even better collaboration next time.

2. Customer Referrals: Happy customers tell others about your product, bringing in new customers who do the same.

3. Learning and Teaching: A leader learns a skill, teaches it to their team, and those team members teach others, spreading knowledge.

4. Feedback Loops: A team uses feedback to improve, which leads to better results that generate more valuable feedback.

5. Innovation: New ideas spark discussions, leading to even more new ideas.

6. Culture Building: A positive culture encourages people to contribute, and those contributions make the culture even stronger.

7. Employee Development: Investing in employees makes them more productive, and their success motivates others to improve.

8. Product Development: Launching a product generates insights that help improve the product, making it more successful.

9. Social Media Growth: Engaging content attracts followers who share it, bringing in even more followers.

10. Sales Momentum: Early wins motivate the team, leading to more energy and effort that create even bigger wins.

Once you start noticing them, you’ll fully appreciate the ever-changing complexity of the systems we live in.

The Meta Blueprint

Facebook’s remarkable growth over the past decade can be attributed to autocatalysis, where each user’s participation enhances the platform’s value, attracting even more users.

This self-reinforcing cycle is evident in several key statistics:

• As of April 2023, Facebook had 2.9 billion monthly active users, representing approximately 37.2% of the global population.

• In the second quarter of 2023, over two billion users engaged with Facebook daily, indicating a high level of active participation.

The platform’s value increases as more people join, creating a bandwagon effect where individuals are compelled to participate because their peers are present.

Every time someone signs up to the social media network, they also tend to invite even more users to the network.

Every time they see a funny video on the internet, they’ll share it with several friends.

Alex Shultz (CMO and VP of Analytics for Meta) went into detail on other tactics they used to scale to 1 billion users here 👇

If you can create an autocatalysis element in your product offering, culture or team collaboration, it will add dividends for years to come.

3. A QUESTION TO IMPROVE THE RESILIENCE OF YOUR PEOPLE

Ask yourself and more importantly your team this question:

Now, ask them to look in the mirror.

Are your thoughts, actions, and habits every day matching that desired description?

If not, it’s time to recalibrate and take a swing at being the person you want to be.

Honesty is the best policy with this exercise.

Where do you fall short? What tiny changes can you make that will create the desired outcome?

Steal like an artist from the people you respect the most too.

Below is a snapshot of the role models from my desktop screensaver which acts as a daily reminder for me to improve different elements of my character and behaviour in line with those I respect the most:

Why it strengthens team resilience?

1. Clarity of Identity: Asking team members to reflect on how they want to be seen encourages them to define their ideal selves. This builds confidence and a stronger sense of self, making them more resilient under pressure.

2. Consistency in Behaviour: When actions align with desired qualities, people feel more authentic and grounded, reducing stress and improving decision-making during tough situations.

3. Stronger Team Dynamics: Sharing these reflections can build trust and empathy among team members. When people understand and respect each other’s aspirations, they’re more likely to support one another during challenges.

4. Improved Emotional Regulation: Reflecting on the gap between aspirations and reality helps team members identify areas for growth without being overly self-critical. This self-awareness equips them to handle setbacks constructively.

5. Higher Accountability: When team members publicly commit to how they want to be perceived, they’re more likely to hold themselves accountable, increasing their ability to bounce back and perform.

By guiding your team through this exercise, you create a culture where individuals are more self-aware, supportive, and focused—key ingredients for a resilient, high-performing team.

MY TOP FINDS OF THE WEEK 🔍

For your performance:

• Coach Curt Cignetti’s philosophy on leadership is spot on - “Leadership is demonstrated not just heard.” (Video)

For your team:

• The best team talk you will hear this year 🔥 I want to play for this guy!! Taking notes for the next one I give ✍️ (Video)

For your health:

• Deion Sanders’s response to one of his players getting diagnosed with cancer is an example to all of us - “You’re never a distraction, you’re a blessing.” (Video)

Hope you enjoyed this week’s tactics. I’ll be back next Sunday with a new lineup 👋 - Alex 

P.S. Did you get something useful from this email? Do me a solid by sharing this link with 1 newsletter pal… 🙏

P.P.S. If you want some one-on-one time to apply some of the concepts to specific challenges you are having with your own team, please get in touch.