‘Runner-up today, champion tomorrow’ – it’s the kind of thinking that breeds true greatness. It is also the motto that has catapulted the young prodigy from Chennai, R Praggnanandhaa, into the elite club of chess geniuses. After settling for silver at the FIDE World Cup in August 2023, the unstoppable 18-year-old refused to look back; instead, he said he was confident of becoming world champion one day.

A new sporting hero for India, Praggnanandhaa’s story has captured hearts across the globe. His humility is touching, not to mention the ease with which he carries the aspirations of the nation. Every time he slammed the button on the chess clock, every Indian skipped a heartbeat, hoping and praying he would inch closer to victory.

The young chess champ is an inspiration in being #future-focused. He won the World Youth Championship Under-8 title, followed by the Under-10 title, he became an international master at age 10 and a grandmaster at age 12, before he went on to become runner-up at the World Cup. It’s almost as if he’s saying, “If you’re in it to win it, always look ahead. Never be distracted by missteps; they are just bumps along the way.”

From humble beginnings to #bigdreams, Praggnanandhaa is a shining example of what we can achieve even when we start small, really small. The chess prodigy’s father is a banker, his mother a homemaker, and his parents initially had to borrow money so that he could follow his dream. The youngster had no special resources and yet he is now literally at the top of his game, on top of the world.

Just like Praggnanandhaa, some of the world’s biggest corporations too had terribly humble beginnings – some were born in a garage, others in college dorm rooms, and one of the world’s largest fast-food franchises started as a sandwich shop. A humble start is not new to the AMIH Group either. We trace our origin to the launch of India’s first motor scooter. Many years later, it took a brilliant lad with a big dream to turn the family legacy into a global corporation.

Praggnanandhaa may have done all the hard work but it was his mother, Nagalakshmi, who gave him strength during his nerve-wracking duel with Magnus Carlsen. Remember that picture which went viral, of a doting mother whose expression said it all as her son addressed the media? It appears she accompanies her son (and daughter, who too is a grandmaster) to all their tournaments and cheers silently from the sidelines as they battle it out in the spotlight.

The corporate world can sometimes test our stamina and resilience, and we all need someone in our corner when we take tough calls. We need colleagues who can act as a sounding board when we’re having a bad day. We need team-mates to be our #cheerleaders in our moments of success.

After his epic battle, Praggnanandhaa said something few will forget, that his #fightingspirit is his main weapon for success. He said, “I am always good at finding resources in bad positions… and I feel this fighting quality is needed to be the best.” Those wise words have many takeaways for team leaders and CEOs: think laterally, dig deep, pivot when required, and, most importantly, never give up.