Tennis Star Oudin is Proof That to Reach Your Goals, You Gotta Believe
Have you been paying attention to the saga of the Great Oudini? No, that's not a typo, as you fellow tennis aficianados know. It's a reference to 17-year-old Melanie Oudin, a young tennis player from Georgia who is making waves with her extraordinarily successful effort at the U.S. Open.
Unseeded and unheralded, Oudin -- or Oudini, as commentator Mary Carrillo has dubbed her -- has pulled off three amazing upsets in a row. After a strong first-round win, she bested the fourth seed (Elena Dementieva), the 29th seed (Maria Sharapova), and the 13th seed (Nadia Petrova). She's now the youngest American tennis player to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals since Serena Williams did it in 1999.
Why am I writing about sports in a business blog? Aside from the fact that I'm completely entranced with her story and efforts, there's a lesson here. Emblazoned on Oudin's self-proclaimed "lucky shoes" (customized pink and yellow Adidas Barricade sneakers) is the word "believe". And it's that mantra that has helped the plucky teen find success.
In the business world, as in sports, belief can take you places that hard work alone cannot. If you believe in your product, you'll be a better evangelizer. If you believe in your team's potential, you'll be a better motivator. And if you believe in your company, you'll be a better and more engaged leader.
The same goes for the challenges you face: If you aren't convinced that success is within reach, it might not be.
The Cinderella run continues today, weather permitting, when Oudin faces ninth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki (7 p.m. EDT). Even if (and I fervently hope this doesn't happen) Oudin loses, her belief has already blown her expectations out of the water. She began this season hoping to crack the top 100 in women's tennis. Following her U.S. Open run, she'll rise to at least No. 45. Now she's ready to set her sights even higher.
As Oudin told Mary Jo Fernandez in one post-match interview, "I have belief (on) my shoes...hopefully, I can get as high as anything."
So take a cue from a rising tennis star and start believing. You might be surprised at what you can accomplish.
(photo courtesy examiner.com, "Melanie Oudin 'Believe' tennis shoes (Gallery)")