Business lessons from sports for Indian entrepreneurs: Top 10 takeaways

#7 Recognize your weaknesses, embrace your strengths

Tiger Woods was able to succeed despite multiple changes to his swing

"Do your best, delegate the rest" is the mantra most entrepreneurs live by. This may well be inspired by sports, where the competition is ruthless when it comes to exposing your weaknesses.

True entrepreneurs like Tiger Woods possess the ability to keep reinventing themselves. That said, they aren't shy about acknowledging their non-core areas and outsourcing them to specialists.

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#6 Love the game

"Love for the game" was key to Sachin's longevity

"Just play, have fun. Enjoy the game" is how the great Michael Jordan pithily put it.

Entrepreneurship is a series of sprints run with a marathon mentality. Patience is key not only to a successful sporting career but also to build a sustainable long-term business. When the going gets tough, it is important to keep reminding yourself why you started in the first place.

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#5 Play by the rules and be patient

India's legendary boxer MC Mary Kom

For the longest time, women's boxing in MC Mary Kom's preferred weight category was not included in the Olympics. But Kom bided her time and finally won Indian women boxing its first Olympic medal.

The Indian business ecosystem is a landmine of regulatory overload and numerous "miscellaneous expenses" to just get your company up and running. In such a scenario, it is important to play by the rules and be patient. Eventually, the tide will turn in your favor. Whether in sports, life or business, there are no shortcuts to long-term success.