Confidence Redefined

What does Genie Bouchard’s loss to Petra Kivitova in the Wimbledon finals (6-3 6-0 in 62 minutes) and Brazil’s semi-final loss (record 7-1) have in common?  Both had a strong record of success and both suffered crushing defeats.  What makes their losses similar?  While Brazil had lost two of its top players and Bouchard had never beaten Kivitova, both appear to have come from a confident place in which their past successes and game plans would work. Yet, neither team appeared to have a plan B.I had a bad feeling in my stomach as I watched Bouchard and Brazil lose.  These athletes appeared lost and confused at the biggest moments in their professional careers.  These moments are what can make an athlete, a coach, or a salesperson raise their game or develop a new strategy.  For anyone who wants to strive for excellence, they need to learn how to stay confident in these big moments.Confidence according to this month’s recommended reading, Confidence Code, is “the stuff that turns thoughts into action.”  This involves trusting yourself to take action even when you are not sure it is correct.  Confidence is a belief in your success, which in turn stimulates action and keeps building through hard work, failure, and positive results.Let’s explore Bouchard’s beating to learn what is confidence and how can you develop it.Genie Bouchard of Canada was the "It player" in the 2014 Wimbledon.  She talked in a confident manner, played aggressive tennis, and had the results to back it up. As an up and comer at age 20, she reached the semi-finals in all of the 2014 Grand Slam Tennis tournaments.  In professional tennis, the Grand Slams are the biggest and most prestigious events and she was demonstrating her arrival by her semi-final results.What impressed me was her confidence.  She didn't appear intimated or uncomfortable on the big stage.  She played an aggressive game which involved seeing the ball early and constantly attacking every shot.  She set high standards for herself, worked hard, and aimed big!But, something just didn’t feel right going into this final.  They interviewed Bouchard's coach prior to the final and he said that he didn't want his player to be thinking about the opponent's game. Rather, he teaches her to focus on herself and bring her best game to the match.  This advice would be similar to my presentation skills coach saying something like, just deliver your best presentation regardless of the audience! What difference does it make if you are presenting to 300 women in the health industry or 50 male investment bankers?  Obviously, that strategy would be insane and grounds for failure.In contrast, when people in Kivotva’s camp were interviewed about her 2014 Wimbledon success, Martina Navratilova (past champion from Czechoslovakia) said she was not surprised at the rise of many top women players from Czech.  Navratilova stressed that the Czech system builds confidence because the professional players constantly play matches against each other which teaches them how to adapt to all types of players and prepares them to play the big points.As the final between Kivitova and Bouchard began unfolding, Kivitova played flawless tennis hitting strong and consistent first serves, wicked angled ground strokes, and attacking tennis. Bourchard was playing her game of attacking every ball from inside the baseline but it wasn't working. The confidence seemed to be sucked right out of Bourchard during the match.  This left me wondering if her coach had really taught her how to be confident - how to adapt and take risks when things aren’t working.A confident approach in business and tennis involves being present and welcoming the challenges. The leaders in business and sports are the people who are constantly analyzing what works and what doesn’t and preparing and practicing for the next challenge. Bouchard appears to have the hard work, drive, and talent to be a top level professional tennis player. If she wants to be a champion, she needs to learn the confident mindset - one of preparation, humility, and curiosity. What is your definition of confidence?