At 29, Madison Keys finally achieved her long-awaited dream by winning her first Grand Slam title at the 2025 Australian Open. Despite being a talented young player who turned professional at 14, Keys had never won a Grand Slam title. She had come close before, reaching the US Open final in 2017 and several other semifinals, but the trophy eluded her for 46 Grand Slam tournaments. Her 2025 win came from taking a look in the mirror.
In her post match press conference Keys said, ‘I felt like from a pretty young age … if I never won a grand slam tournament, then I wouldn’t have lived up to what people thought I should have been. That was a pretty heavy burden to kind of carry around. So, I finally got to the point where I was proud of myself and proud of my career, with or without a grand slam.’
The mindset shift that lead to her success came from introspection and ‘lots of therapy.’ She said, ‘I think it just kind of forced me to look at myself in the mirror a little bit and try to work on the kind of… internal pressure that I was putting on myself.’ She described her lightbulb moment, ‘I started really buying into I can be nervous and I can still play good tennis.’ This reframing of her perspective was crucial to her success.
As Leaders, we can draw valuable lessons from Keys’ experience. Like her, many leaders face immense pressure to succeed and live up to expectations – their own or others. The burden of leadership can be overwhelming, causing self-doubt and performance anxiety. Keys’ example shows the importance of self-reflection and seeking support.
We can all learn from Madison’s example by taking a look in the mirror and learning where we may actually get in the way of our own progress. She found that having external guidance helped her overcome her self-doubt and embrace her nervousness. Similarly, Leaders can benefit from counselling or coaching to help them reflect on what they are dealing with and set them up to play their best game.
🙋♀️ In your experience, what are the benefits of seeking professional help, such as therapy or coaching, in high-pressure careers? 🙋
PS: We hold up a mirror in the new group program, Personality and Behaving Transactionally. Get in touch to find out more.
Best regards, Brian