3 Business Lessons Learned from Boxing in Mexico City

Two years ago my wife and I lived and worked from Mexico City. During that time we indulged in a lot of the stereotypical Mexican traditions like street tacos, tamales, and mezcal. But I also picked up an unexpected hobby while I've been there—boxing.

Every Saturday I'd head to Parque Mexico in the leafy neighborhood of La Condesa to box with my entrenedador de boxeo (boxing trainer), Tony. Despite the fact that I could barely speak Spanish, Tony trained me on how to jab, hook, uppercut, and protect myself through an hour-long session.

While my boxing skills only mildly improved and I've yet to face anyone in the ring (thank God), I learned some valuable business lessons from my time boxing in Mexico City.

1/ Keep Your Punches Compact

During my first few lessons, one of the biggest mistakes I made was over-swinging. Tony would tell me to throw an uppercut with my izquierda (left). I'd wind up my arm and deliver a "massive" blow only to throw myself off balance in the process. This left me exposed. And, if I was in the ring, would surely lead to my opponent knocking me out.

To correct this, Tony taught me to throw compact punches by cutting my wind-up in half. This helped me to keep my balance upon contact and quickly get my glove back to cover my face for defense.

In business, I find the same is true. If we try to "over-swing" while delivering a sales call, conducting an interviewed, or leading a team meeting, we may throw ourself off balance and not deliver the "punch" we had intended. Instead, we have to make sure your sales pitches, interview answers, and instructions to our team are all compact and tight. This will help achieve the results we desire without throwing ourselves off balance.

2/ Guard Yourself

When sparring with another student, one phrase I hear Tony shout over and over again is "La guardia!" This simply means "the guard!" or "guard yourself!" As a very amateur boxer, I constantly make the mistake of dropping my gloves and therefore exposing my head and body to my opponent. If you want to stay alive in the ring, guarding yourself is your biggest asset.

In business too we must always be on guard. If we're selling, we want to be ready for a curve ball retort or for a potential negotiation. If we're meeting with a client, we want to have an answer to every potential question thought out beforehand. The best way I've found to be on guard (or "la guardia") in the business world is through preparation. We must take the time before every big meeting to think through all scenarios so we can be ready to duck and counter as needed.

3/ Be Present ("Concentrado")

One of my favorite things about boxing is how it literally forces you to be present. You need to be able focus on how to follow the right combinations, punch with force, and maintain your footwork. If your mind drifts for even a moment you lose your rhythm (and if you were in the ring you'd lose much more than that).

Whenever I lose my rhythm, mess up my footwork or miss a punch, Tony shouts "Concentrado!" Which, in English, simply means "concentrate!" In boxing, concentration is the only thing keeping you alive in the ring. The moment you lose it your opponent takes you down.

Likewise, in business, there are many moments in our week where we must choose concentration over distraction. We must choose presence over mindlessness. If we conduct a call with a client or deliver a presentation and our mind is elsewhere, we are sure to fail. On the other hand, if we can be present — if we can "concentrado" — then we can give the moment our all and deliver successfully.

The next time you find yourself in a big moment in your career, consider how these lessons from the ring may help you excel in your arena.

Adios!

...

P.S. My wife and I have a new project we've launched on Instagram called @Daily.Buddhist

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