Moonshots: Audacious Ambition

Moonshot: (def): an extremely ambitious and innovative project.

Why Businesses Are The Epitome of Ambition & Sport Cannot Compete:

After two decades in elite sports, I’ve have enjoyed what some would call a front-row seat to the pinnacle of human endeavour and spirit. Beyond mere entertainment, professional sport has captivated millions because it embodies the tantalising promise that anything is possible. It is the ultimate epic tale where David topples Goliath, inspiring us all to believe that perhaps, in our own battles, we might be able to do the same.

Having been inside the locker rooms of some of the greatest teams and felt the pulse of competition, I can attest that elite sports, even with all its allure, operates with such rigid constraints, that in some shape and form, whilst it inspires, it can also stifle creativity and ambition.

Take the T20 game of cricket, for instance—a format where breaching the 200-run mark is hailed as a monumental achievement. This achievement is so rare, that is has occurred on less than 1% of occasions. If one has to imagine crossing the 300 run mark, it would be deemed, not impossible, statistically speaking but highly improbable. In fact, it was a feat achieved only once in its history, during a match between Mongolia and Nepal, two countries not known for their cricketing prowess. In the Indian Premier League, the highest score to date was 277 in a match between Hyderabad Sunrisers and Mumbai Indians.

If you broken down the game of T20 cricket, the maximum score a team could achieve is 720 runs (120 balls x 6 runs p/b). For a second, I want you to draw on this realisation. The highest total in the history of this format of the game (314 runs) is below 50% of the maximum threshold possible. And that is a feat that is already hailed as 'exemplary'. One can argue that sport, the limitations of the human body must be taken into account when factoring possibility and probability. Yet, in areas such as aeronautical and space engineering, medicine, defence and others, we have pushed beyond the limits of the body to greater degrees and succeeded. What is the difference between sports and these fields? The rules of the game!! Constraint!!

It was this reflection that drew me into coaching executives.

In the world of business, unlike in sports, the ceiling on what can be achieved is virtually non-existent. Moonshots aren't just daydreams; they're tangible targets. From small startups in Bangalore or Tallinn, evolving into unicorns with a handful of employees and resources, to social media influencers amassing fortunes overnight with skills most Fortune 500 companies would render useless, the corporate field is ripe with examples of astronomical success that defy traditional expectations and boundaries.

In business, using cricket as an analogy, scoring 1,000 runs in a T20 match would not a ludicrous idea to laughed at by all, but a milestone worthy of strive. In fact, in the entrepreneurial world, there’s always someone, somewhere, gearing up to not just reach but shatter such limits. These entrepreneurs are the Davids gearing up to take down some Goliath ideas with audacious and ambitious actions. And this is why humans as a species have not just survived but thrived.

In my coaching, I emphasise that the landscape of business has limitless potential—a realm where audacity meets opportunity, where probability and possibility converge. Herein, the crucial catalyst is courage. The courage to think grandly, to sustain belief in the face of skepticism, and to tirelessly work towards what others might dismiss as fantasy.

Every day, as leaders and innovators, you stand at the threshold of the extraordinary. The journey towards realising a groundbreaking vision or disruptive innovation is lined with challenges, but it's also paved with the rewards of creating impact and crafting legacies.

The world of business has always inspired everyone to dream big: embrace the courage to pursue those moonshots. It inspires one to think of their biggest, boldest goals not as far-fetched dreams, but as blueprints for what you is possible.

For those who embrace the courage, when the world finally sees what you have created, what they will really witness is not just a product or a service, but the physical manifestation of courage. Your courage!!

To leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators, I salute you!

I invite you to share your perspective.

Shayamal

#Leadership #BusinessInnovation #Courage #Moonshots #ExecutiveCoaching