Covering the Court: Why endurance beats ego in business and governance - Part II

In Part 1, I argued that Ghana must move from a chess board mindset to a squash court mindset. Strategy matters, but the game has changed. The ball comes faster, from more angles, and it does not wait for your turn.

Today I want to go deeper on one squash rule that destroys egos and builds nations: you must cover the court.

1. The Ego Problem: Playing for the Highlight Shot

Chess rewards the brilliant move. One perfect sacrifice and the game tilts. That rewards ego. You remember the grandmaster, not the 40 quiet moves before it.

Squash punishes that instinct. Go for the highlight shot too early and you are out of position for the next three balls. The court exposes you.

I see the same in business and governance. Leaders who play for headlines burn out their teams. Politicians who chase viral moments miss the daily work of service delivery. CEOs who optimize for the keynote speech often neglect cash flow, culture, and customer complaints.

Ego wants the kill shot. Endurance wants the next rally. Ghana cannot afford more highlight reels. We need more players willing to cover every inch of the court, even when no one is watching.

2. Covering the Court: The Discipline No One Claps For

In squash, “covering the court” means returning to the T after every shot. The T is the center. From there you can reach every corner. Leave the T to chase glory, and your opponent kills you with a simple cross-court.

Business translation: systems, processes, culture, and cash management are the T. Governance translation: institutions, rule of law, data, and citizen trust are the T.

They are not glamorous. No newspaper runs “Minister Returns to the T Today.” But every collapse I have studied in companies and governments starts the same way. Someone left the T to chase a headline. They stopped covering the court.

At UPSA I tell students: your first job will not be strategy. It will be discipline. Show up. Track the numbers. Close the loop. Answer the email. That is covering the court. That is how you stay in position to win when the tough ball comes.

3. Endurance Beats Ego in 3 Real Scenarios

Scenario 1: Startups vs Conglomerates

The startup with ego tries to disrupt everything in year one. The startup with endurance builds one product, serves one customer segment, fixes one pain point, and returns to the T. Five years later, the “boring” startup is still standing while the disruptor ran out of oxygen.

Scenario 2: Policy Implementation

Ego-driven policy launches with a press conference and dies in implementation. Endurance-driven policy starts quiet, pilots small, measures, adjusts, and scales. It is not sexy. But citizens feel it in their pockets. That is covering the court.

Scenario 3: Political Leadership

Ego says “I must be seen solving everything.” Endurance says “I must build a team that solves problems even when I am not in the room.” One burns out. The other builds institutions. Ghana needs institutions more than heroes.

4. Training for Endurance, Not Just Brilliance

At UPSA and in my political work, I train young people for 3 things:

Lungs: Can you handle pressure for 90 minutes without quitting? In business, that is running payroll during a downturn. In governance, that is staying focused after the 5th committee meeting with no cameras present.

Footwork: Can you pivot fast when the ball comes off the wall? Markets shift. Policies fail. Public opinion moves. Footwork is learning, unlearning, and relearning without shame.

Recovery: Every player misses shots. The difference is recovery time. Ego sulks for 3 rallies. Endurance says “next ball” in 3 seconds. That is the culture we must build in our boardrooms and ministries.

The Scoreboard We Actually Need

If we judge leaders and companies by highlight shots, we will keep losing. If we judge them by how well they cover the court, we will start winning.

The scoreboard should read:

Did you return to the T after that crisis?

Did you keep the rally going when funding dried up?

Did you build a team that could play without you?

That is endurance. And endurance, not ego, is what turns potential into GDP, and promises into hospitals, jobs, and schools.

Ghana does not need more kings on a chess board. We need more players who will cover the court until the final point.

About the Author

Dr Palgrave Boakye-Danquah is a missionary apologist, political strategist, and lecturer at UPSA. He writes on leadership, governance, and nation building.