Röchling Group’s Post

Novak Djokovic is one of the great seekers in tennis, someone who is always looking for another answer, another way to find an edge. His decision to split with coach Goran Ivanisevic underscores the critical nature of evolving and adapting, even at the pinnacle of success. Novak, known for his relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation, reminds us of the importance of seeking new edges and perspectives in an ever-competitive landscape. This strategic pivot, much like a CEO steering a corporate through turbulent waters, emphasizes the courage required to make incisive decisions. One can probably also mention the current example of adidas, where Bjørn Gulden also decided to question the value of continuing the commitment to the German Football Association or to focus on the economic realities of adidas. See also the link in the comments to this and to an article in The Economist that is worth reading. In any case, Novak's journey is a masterclass in leadership and adaptability—choosing to part with a long-time collaborator in pursuit of growth, despite a dozen Grand Slam titles won together. During his professional career, he has gone through a roster of established tennis names, including Andre Agassi, Boris Becker and Ivanisevic, Wimbledon champions all. He has also worked with the former pros Todd Martin and Riccardo Piatti, an Italian recognized as one of the world’s top tennis minds. The constants with all the changes were Novak’s competitiveness and need to find new ways to compete with his biggest rivals, initially Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and now Alcaraz and Sinner, and his willingness to open his mind to new ideas. As professionals, we're often faced with the daunting task of reevaluating our strategies and team dynamics to stay ahead. Novak's move is a compelling reminder that continuous improvement and the courage to embrace change are indispensable for sustained success. Bottom line: to reassess, to be bold, and to venture into uncharted territories with the conviction of a champion is an essential part of future success. #leadership #change #edge #thinkingbeyondsports https://lnkd.in/efA4F6Kn

𝙆𝙪𝙙𝙤𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙝? Should Olympians - or more precisely track and field athletes - be paid for winning sport's ultimate prize? World Athletics are planning to pay gold medal winners at this year's Paris Olympics $50,000. In Los Angeles in 2028 - all three medal winners will get cash. The organisation argues they are putting the money they get from the IOC back into the sport - and also rewarding success. Winning a gold medal is the pinnacle of succcess - so why do these particular athletes - many who compete in the Diamond League where they are paid - need to also be financially rewarded? British sports stars like Justin Rose and Andy Murray, both major winners in their respective sports of golf and tennis and both millionaires on the back of their sporting prowess - competed for GB to win gold and to call themselves Olympians. It wasn't about the money at any point. And it shouldn't be. It was about pitting yourself at the highest level - and being the best. Faster, Higher, Stronger - not richer! Great Britain's Sir Steve Redgrave says in this BBC Sport article it will 'divide' athletes across the sports and create an 'us and them'. What are your thoughts in medal winning athletes being paid? #athletics #olympics #sports

Gold medalists in track and field at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will receive $50,000 from World Athletics. World Athletics announced on Wednesday morning that there is a $2.4m prize pot on offer across 48 events in track and field, making it the first ever sport to introduce prize money at the Olympics. Relay teams who win will have to split $50,000 between their members, with money also going to the winners of race walking, the women’s heptathlon and the men’s decathlon. The governing body are also looking to exetend the prize money to silver and bronze medalists when the games go to Los Angeles in 2028. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said, “While it is impossible to put a marketable value on winning an Olympic medal, or on the commitment and focus it takes to even represent your country at an Olympic Games, I think it is important we start somewhere…” In response to this decision by World Athletics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have stated: “The IOC redistributes 90 per cent of all its income, in particular to the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (IFs). “This means that, evey day, the equivalent of $4.2m goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world. It is up to each IF and NOC to determine how to best serve their athletes and the global development of their sport.” #olympics #paris2024 #olympicgames #parisolympics #prizemoney #worldathletic #athletics #trackandfield

I used the first day of the new year to do a short run around my neighbourhood. Jogging is my reflection time and this place has a special spot in my memories. These tennis courts are one of the earliest memories I have of the time when I moved to Austria for my studies back in the day. Hence, whenever I pass by this location, many thoughts go through my mind, but I concentrated on the most recent learnings today. In the season of 2022, we were one doubles match victory away from becoming champions of lower Austria and moving to the second highest tier of competition in the country (for 35 years old persons). As the team decided not to compete in the doubles matches in order to avoid promotion I was devastated. Other players thought that the higher tier competition would be too strong for the team and could demand further finance burden as well as time effort. It is not in my DNA to give up, but I had to accept the decission of the tennis club and move on. It was another lesson for me that a single player could never be bigger than a team. However, I couldn't accept the „failure“ and the anger made me practice even harder in my free time, thinking that I could do better for my team. Before the league matches in 2023, I made it clear to the management of the club that we don't want to miss another chance for the championship if we get an opportunity that year. We aligned as a team and the rules were clear, therefore the game was on. I remember the first game at home as I faced a former senior European Tennis Champion and managed to get the win with a tremendous support by the team. This gave the team a push to believe further in ourselves. With every further league match we performed better as a team, so that the form peaked at the end of the season and we finally won the championship! Together we were able to collect the fruits that were left hanging in 2022 🥇 I have some challenging goals for 2024, nevertheless whatever happens I learned that: 1. Learnings from “failures” are necessary to enjoy the fruits of victories 2. Alignment with the team and all stakeholders is necessary factor to achieve high targets 3. Determination is key for everything you do #teamworkwins #determinationwins #failuretosuccess #wewintogether

#BreakingRecords I truly love watching athletics. I admire the competitiveness and resilience in all athletes. In the 100m and 200m track events, the Jamaican Usain Bolt is a sprinter par excellence. At his peak, he broke records of others and, later, his own (the last one in the IAAF's 2009 World Athletics Championship in Berlin, Germany). How was this possible? He gloried in outcompeting self, so he would stretch himself beyond imagination. He had the best challengers (the likes of Yohan Blake aka 'the beast') for his training partners. On that day, in Berlin, he competed against seven great sprinters who had done sub-10 seconds before. A stage and an environment for Bolt to break the world record had been set. In that race, 10:34 seconds from start to finish, others also broke records - Tyson Gay, coming second, shuttered the US national record while four others attained their personal best. The beauty of healthy competition. I dare challenge you Bolt would not have done the record-breaking 9:58s in Berlin if in that final he was pitted against sub-12s. He would still have won the gold medal with a sub-optimal time (say 10s). Do you want to reach greatest heights in life? Choose to compete with the best. And have that overlaid with a BCDEF (Belief, Confidence, Discipline, Endurance and Focus) system. The positivity from what the Crowd (of family, friends and associates) expects of you will just be a booster. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3 #outcompeteself #competewiththebest

 5 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫. Swedish pole-vaulter Armand Gustav "Mondo" Duplantis shows the power of true competition.   He set a new world record height of 6.25m. He has broken his world record of 6.24m held previously. Reflecting on the recent Paris Olympics, here are five key lessons we can learn:   1. 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Competition is not about defeating others, but about overcoming personal limitations. Duplantis, who broke his own world record at the Olympics proved this. The crowd cheered, not for his victory over others, but his victory over his limits.   2. 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐭 The real competition is between your abilities and your doubts. Duplantis's willingness to set a new record, even after securing the gold medal, shows how he challenged his own doubts and fears.   3. 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 Excessive competition can lead to a destructive 'rat race' mentality. The Olympics celebrates an athlete's pursuit of excellence, not their desire to undermine or 'undo' their competitors.   4. 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 True competition nurtures the spirit of self-improvement and excellence. Sergei Bubka, who broke the world record for pole vaulting 35 times over 15 years, embodied the spirit of self-improvement. He said, “Believe in yourself, even when others doubt you. You can achieve anything you set your mind to”   5. 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 The key to surpassing your limitations is self-belief and perseverance. Bubka's trademark ability to consistently break records came from his unshakeable belief in himself and his abilities.   𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 Competition has shifted from improving oneself to winning at any cost, using any means. Such a mindset and approach are the surest recipes for disaster. Eliminating a rival isn't victory; it's a cursed, Pyrrhic win.   Paris Olympics reminds us that true competition is about bettering ourselves and overcoming our personal limitations. It is a testament to the human spirit's resilience, courage, and unyielding pursuit of excellence.   What lessons have you learned from the athletes in the Olympics?                  

Tug-of-war used to be in the Olympic Games. Today, we associate tug-of-war with cookouts and schoolyard games, but for a brief period in the early 20th century, world-class competitors participated in tug-of-war matches on one of the most prestigious stages in athletics: the Olympic Games. Tug-of-war was an event at five Summer Games: in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920. The rules of Olympic tug-of-war were essentially a slightly more regulated version of the game commonly played today. Two teams of eight competitors (or five or six competitors in the 1900 and 1904 Games) grabbed hold of either side of a rope, and two lines were drawn in the middle of the field, 6 feet away from each team. The two sides then battled to pull the opposing team 6 feet over the line closest to their side — or to make the other team fall over. If this wasn’t accomplished within a five-minute time limit, the team that had pulled their opponent the greatest distance was declared the winner. However, there were some unusual rules in Olympic tug-of-war that led to a few odd results. For instance, a country could enter multiple teams into the same competition, which resulted in the United States winning the gold, silver, and bronze medals in tug-of-war at the 1904 Olympics. A similar result occurred after a controversy in the 1908 Games: When the United States complained that the competitors from Great Britain had an unfair advantage from the heavy, spiked police boots they were wearing, the U.S. withdrew from the competition in protest, and all three medals went to Great Britain. After the 1920 Games, the International Olympic Committee removed around 30 sports from the Olympics, including tug-of-war, amid concerns that the event was getting too large. https://lnkd.in/e9VMrU-b

What a thrill today at Roland Garros! Congratulations to Carlos Alcaraz for winning this intense and energetic French Open finals match today! This match showed two young players really ushering in a new era with their dynamic playing styles. Kudos to the youngest player in history for winning a Grand Slam final on all three tennis courts: clay, grass, and hard court. Yesterday's women's final was just as exciting: Iga Świątek completed the title hat-trick, winning the French Open for the third time in a row and the fourth time in her career. Only two players have won three titles in a row at Roland Garros in the era of professional tennis so far: Monica Seles and Justine Henin. Congrats to this outstanding achievement! I’ve always been a big fan of the French Open. Of the four major tennis tournaments, the one with the “red clay” courts is really special. Here, perhaps even more than in Melbourne, New York, and Wimbledon, it's all about stamina and match plan. Tennis has always fascinated me. It’s a passion I inherited from my father. We were both quite active players in our local club, and he really gave it his all. There are many specific aspects I love about the game. Some of them still shape my mindset as a leader today: 👉 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬: Any sport requires fair play to be really good, but I think that respect is really inherent in the game of tennis. 👉 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭: The players are on their own during a match, and they make important decisions alone. But there’s always a great team behind them for support, strategy, planning, organization, analysis. And this great team is routing for every player from the players’ box. Nobody is perfect, but a team can be – this statement is valid, also for Tennis. 👉 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚: Tennis is a long mental game. A match is decided in the mind, with strategy, tactics, speed, focus, and excellent coordination. 👉 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲: The tennis experience, for players and spectators alike, is constantly evolving thanks to advancements such as Hawk-Eye technology, telemetry sensors, and AI analysis. I could go on and on about the parallels between tennis and leadership, but I’ll leave the rest to a great book that I heartily recommend: “The inner game of tennis” by Timothy Gallwey teaches players how to tap into their greatest asset – the mind – to win a game. A classic must-read, and not only for tennis players. “Not assuming you already know is a powerful principle of focus.” That’s one of my favourite quotes from it. #FrenchOpen2024 #RolandGarros #fairplay #TeamFresenius

What a thrill today at Roland Garros! Congratulations to Carlos Alcaraz for winning this intense and energetic French Open finals match today! This match showed two young players really ushering in a new era with their dynamic playing styles. Kudos to the youngest player in history for winning a Grand Slam final on all three tennis courts: clay, grass, and hard court. Yesterday's women's final was just as exciting: Iga Świątek completed the title hat-trick, winning the French Open for the third time in a row and the fourth time in her career. Only two players have won three titles in a row at Roland Garros in the era of professional tennis so far: Monica Seles and Justine Henin. Congrats to this outstanding achievement! I’ve always been a big fan of the French Open. Of the four major tennis tournaments, the one with the “red clay” courts is really special. Here, perhaps even more than in Melbourne, New York, and Wimbledon, it's all about stamina and match plan. Tennis has always fascinated me. It’s a passion I inherited from my father. We were both quite active players in our local club, and he really gave it his all. There are many specific aspects I love about the game. Some of them still shape my mindset as a leader today: 👉 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬: Any sport requires fair play to be really good, but I think that respect is really inherent in the game of tennis. 👉 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭: The players are on their own during a match, and they make important decisions alone. But there’s always a great team behind them for support, strategy, planning, organization, analysis. And this great team is routing for every player from the players’ box. Nobody is perfect, but a team can be – this statement is valid, also for Tennis. 👉 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚: Tennis is a long mental game. A match is decided in the mind, with strategy, tactics, speed, focus, and excellent coordination. 👉 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲: The tennis experience, for players and spectators alike, is constantly evolving thanks to advancements such as Hawk-Eye technology, telemetry sensors, and AI analysis. I could go on and on about the parallels between tennis and leadership, but I’ll leave the rest to a great book that I heartily recommend: “The inner game of tennis” by Timothy Gallwey teaches players how to tap into their greatest asset – the mind – to win a game. A classic must-read, and not only for tennis players. “Not assuming you already know is a powerful principle of focus.” That’s one of my favourite quotes from it. #frenchopen #tenis

As many of my clients know I’m an avid sports fan, and from the Euro Cup and Wimbledon to the upcoming Olympics, it’s been a busy summer! Carlos Alcaraz’s second win over Novak Djokovic particularly stood out to me. At 21, Alcaraz has already had triumphs at Wimbledon and other tournaments, emphasizing the importance of strategy, determination, and hard work. The values necessary to succeed in sport can be applied beyond the court. Financial success relies on attentive strategy and effort. So, let’s take a lesson from Alcaraz: with precision and determination we can achieve our financial goals. https://bit.ly/4fdyk5A