What if your biggest leadership challenge... is your focus?

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THE ART & SCIENCE OF LEADING SELF
The Power of Self-Focus

My friend, a recent semifinal match at Indian Wells offers a powerful lesson about leadership mindset that extends far beyond tennis courts.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz, seeking his 3rd consecutive title at the prestigious tournament, saw his 16-match winning streak end in a stunning upset to Jack Draper. What makes this loss particularly instructive isn't the score, but Alcaraz's candid post-match reflection.

"I think today I was more worried about his level, his game, than myself," Alcaraz admitted. His attention had shifted to what he couldn't control – his opponent's performance – rather than remaining focused on what he could control: himself.

This external focus represents a universal leadership challenge.

The Control Paradox 🎯

"Since the beginning of the day, since the morning, I was thinking about his game, because he's really tough, he's really solid, and it's going to be a really physical match," Alcaraz revealed.

Notice the paradox: by focusing on his opponent (which he couldn't control), Alcaraz sacrificed control over the one factor he could influence: his own performance. This pattern appears across leadership contexts.

When you focus externally on market volatility, competitor actions, or other factors beyond your control, you divert precious mental resources away from the most powerful lever you possess: your ability to lead yourself well, which shapes how you show up for and lead your team.

The irony? By focusing on what you can control (yourself), you actually gain more influence over external circumstances. Had Alcaraz maintained focus on his own game, his performance would have imposed pressure on his opponent, likely changing the match's outcome.

This principle applies whether you're leading a business, a team, or just yourself. When you direct your attention toward self-leadership, your improved performance creates ripple effects that shape external circumstances in your favor.

Assessments vs. Assertions 🧠

A closer look at Alcaraz's language reveals something crucial about mindset. Consider his statements about his opponent:

🔎 "He's really tough."
🔎 "He's really solid."
🔎 "It's going to be a really physical match."

These are assessments – subjective interpretations – not assertions of verifiable fact. Assessments shape your emotional state and, consequently, your performance.

From "morning" onward, these assessments created an emotional burden that affected Alcaraz's preparation, focus, and performance. The result? "Probably one of the worst sets that I have played in my whole career," was how he described the opening set.

Contrast these assessments with potential assertions (empirically verifiable observations) about Draper:

✅ He has won 64.7% of his matches at this point in the season." (verifiable statistic for the 2024 season up to the Indian Wells semifinal)
✅ “Draper's head-to-head record against Alcaraz entering the match is 1-3.” (verifiable fact)
✅ "Draper is left-handed." (verifiable physical fact about his playing style)

Assertions ground you in reality rather than interpretation. They provide a foundation for strategic thinking without the emotional weight of assessments.

This distinction between assertions and assessments connects directly to our equation: M = f(m). Your mindset work is a function of mindfulness. Mindfulness creates the space to notice when you're slipping into assessments and return to the solid ground of assertions.

The Ripple Effect 🏆

Alcaraz's compromised mindset didn't just affect his tennis technique. It cascaded through his entire performance system, impacting his courage and resilience.

This illustrates The Path to Unbounded Innovation framework in action. When mindset falters, courage and resilience become difficult to access. The ripple effect continues, making innovation – finding new solutions in challenging circumstances – nearly impossible.

Without a strong mindset foundation during the match, Alcaraz struggled to adapt to his opponent's strategies.

This same pattern appears in business leadership: when your mindset is externally focused, your ability to respond with courage, adapt with resilience, and innovate under pressure diminishes.

FROM INSIGHT TO ACTION
Putting It Into Practice

Assessment Awareness Exercise:

Track your assessments for 1 day (statements containing words like "tough," "difficult," "impossible"). Notice how these affect your emotions and behavior.

Identify how these assessments shape your emotions and actions. What patterns emerge?

Practice reframing each assessment as an assertion (verifiable fact). For example, change "This project is impossible" to "This project requires skills I'm still developing."

Notice how this shift changes your relationship with challenges. Does it create more space for strategic thinking?

Remember, the goal isn't to eliminate assessments altogether but to become aware of their influence on your mindset.

DEEPENING YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Resources for You

🧠 Want to understand the psychology behind peak performance? (Link)

🎯 Looking for research on why you underperform in pressure situations? (Link)

💪 Ready to develop habits that support better focus? (Link)

🎾 This illuminating talk by Tim Gallwey explains the core principles of the Inner Game concept. (Link)

🗣️ Want to understand how to manage your internal dialogue? (Link)

EXCELLENCE UNBOUNDED
How I Can Help You

High-performing executive teams don’t happen by chance. They happen by design.

Aligned Senior Leaders Are:

✅ 1.9x more likely to achieve above-average financial performance
✅ 2.5x more likely to have satisfied and engaged employees

Aligned Companies Are:

✅ 58% faster revenue growth
✅ 72% more profitable

Misaligned companies underperform in the following ways:

❌ 50% lower ROIC
❌ 18% lower EBITDA
❌ 25% loss of revenue
❌ Reduced productivity
❌ Slower strategic execution

Book a call to learn more about The Executive Alignment Playbook 🚀, an immersive, experiential leadership program.

Realign your leadership team. Accelerate execution. Drive measurable results.

🎤 Speaking Engagements: My mom can attest to the fact that I LOVE to talk. 😂 Now, I put that talent to work delivering talks on Mindset, Courage, Resilience, & Innovation.

A few past clients include KraftHeinz, Amazon Women @ Payments, PAHEi, & the Panamá Chapter of the International Coaching Federation (I delivered this talk in Spanish).

If you are interested in having me speak at your event, please fill out this form.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD 📢

Until next Sunday,

Shawnette