Djokovic's Olympic win has a lesson for India

Just few weeks before the Olympics, he got trashed by a much younger opponent in the Wimbledon Championship final. But he was not willing to give up on his dream. 

Possibly, the day after that Wimbledon final defeat, Djokovic would have been back to his daily practice routine as he has done for very many decades of his long career. All because he desperately wanted to win an Olympic gold.

How can a person who has won almost every challenge that the game of tennis has to offer be so motivated to win yet again, and that too at the age of 37? 

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With the ascendency of players who are almost half his age, he had very many reasons to give up long back. But Djokovic did not give up his dream of winning an Olympic gold. He continued to work hard to achieve his dream. And finally succeeded.

This willingness to work hard even after having achieved so much in life is nothing short of extraordinary. Can this passion for tireless hard work be replicated in an organization? Is it ever possible to build this level of positive attitude towards work, or at a country level? 

The Indian economy has been on a high growth trajectory since the 1990s. It is now the fastest-growing major economy in the world. The country is also on its way to becoming a global superpower. The present growth rates of India are the result of the work of many visionaries who dreamt up big business opportunities. 

Just imagine the audacity of a man who thought of creating a milk surplus nation or the person who dreamt of making phone calls as cheap as an inland letter or the persons who dreamt of taking care of all the software needs of the world. Look closely and you will realise that these entrepreneurs were mining business opportunities from the depths of deprivation.

At the time of independence, India was one of the poorest countries in the world. There was shortage of even the most essential items. There was food shortage. There was milk shortage. 

Long lines outside kerosine shops or even public water taps were common. Owning a landline phone was a dream only the affluent and influential could afford. The list of impoverishments was endless.

Manufacturing any of these essential items was more than a business opportunity. It was a matter of survival. Finding a job in any of these manufacturing plants and working hard was the best way for millions to make both ends meet. When it is a matter of survival, no one needs to listen to motivational lectures.

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Much has changed for the better in India. From the days of shortages, the country is now self-sufficient in several areas. Our airports are as crowded as the railway stations in the 90s. Much like Djokovic, India has started winning grand slams in cutting edge fields such as space technology and digital infrastructure. 

Many Indians are now enjoying the dividends of the hard work the past generations had put in. They do not want to be ones who lived poor and died rich.

Unlike the older generation, work is no more a pathway to survival for the younger generation. They can afford to take a break for a few months from their work and look around for better work opportunities. For them, there is much more to life than their work.

But herein lies a danger. Much like the proverbial hare in the famous race with the tortoise that we learned about in our school days, how do we make sure that the need for rest does not turn into a culture of complacency?

Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy exhorted the younger generation to work for 70 hours a week. Murthy surely knows a thing or two about burning the midnight oil and its benefits. 

His intentions were in the right place. But his exhortation did not generate enough positive energy. We could learn a lesson or two about energizing a whole nation into action from Djokovic.

Great effort always stems from great goals. Despite winning so many grand slams, which are more about individual successes, what kept Djokovic going was his goal of winning an Olympic gold for his country. 

It is this higher order goal that helped Djokovic not get complacent even after winning so many grand slams. This higher order goal was what made Djokovic hit the practice court the day after his loss in the Wimbledon final. What are the equivalent higher order goals for India?

The milk revolution was built on the success of the cooperative movement. The business resurgence since the 80s was fuelled by the new equity culture in the country. The world leadership in software services was built on the demographic dividend of the country.

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There is not much doubt that future growth of this country will be built on the base of its technological prowess, more so the public digital public infrastructure that has been put in place in the last few years. 

So, the foundation for the future of India is ready. Now only one question remains. What goals could energize a whole lot of Indians to sweat it out in the ‘practice courts’ from tomorrow?