Leadership lessons from Cricket World Cup Semi Final 2011

Yesterday’s semi-finals clearly spelled out the leadership qualities of captain of the Indian cricket team MS Dhoni that helped team India win the match. Some of these qualities are:

1. Making the right fitment -Sachin & Sehwag as opening batsmen and Harbhajan as crucial bowler.

2. Pre-empting the opponent’s move –giving slow balls to Pakistan Captain Afridi so that his shot could be caught.

3. Making strategic moves to tackle the situation with efficacy.

4. Giving every team-player a fair chance to show case his talent.

5. Giving timely feedback.

6. Expecting the unexpected and fighting it out-that's how the match could take a positive turn.

7. Believing that team’s synergistic performance is above the individual’s performance.

8. Playing a fair game- Ashish Nehra asked the umpire to recheck his decision of catch which did’nt actually happen.

9. Staying undeterred and composed even under tremendous pressure.

10.Taking accountability for the team’s performance-good or bad, not just making the team accountable.

Taking these lessons from our captain, we wish team India all the very best for the finals.

Trust means acceptance

While watching a talk show on Trust on television a couple of days back, I got a few key points that play crucial role in our day to day relationships in personal & professional life. Here they are:

1. Trust is nothing but acceptance. When we accept someone the way he is, we show our trust in him.
2. When a person behaves in a manner which is not in sync with our perception of his image, we feel our trust has been breached.
3. When we have lesser expectations from someone, it becomes easier to accept that person.
4. A person becomes dishonest or starts hiding the truth when he feels insecure or fears non-acceptance from us.

Appears a little abstract? Let’s take an example to understand better.
A fresher recently joins a private bank in sales. In a couple of weeks, he starts giving false information about sales calls fearing loss of job or public reprimand. Further he gets false documents to open accounts and the account is opened without a satisfactory KYC check. This can have serious repercussion on the organization and entire banking system.
On the contrary, if there is an atmosphere of mutual trust, the results can be much better. How?
If the sales-person did not feel insecure and could ask for help, maybe by being deputed under an experienced and successful person good at getting numbers, and the senior showed confidence in him and extended the needed support, he would have picked up how to generate numbers without resorting to unfair means.
All that is required is:

• Making a concerted effort to create an environment of mutual trust.
• Sharing values, objectives, information relevant to one’s job.
• Providing the necessary clarity and support.
• Using positive motivators.
• Making others feel that we trust them and are within their reach if they need us.
• Encouraging others to trust us by listening to them without being judgemental.
• This way, they shall also learn to trust us and give their best without any kind of compromise.

Lead by example

Lord Krishna demonstrated exemplary leadership qualities. A few instances from which we get great lessons are:
1. Krishna carried Draupadi’s slippers in His own hands when He took Draupadi to Bhishma Pitamah to seek his blessings before the battle of Mahabharat.
2. He did the job of the charioteer of Arjun during the battle.
3. He washed the soiled and bruised feet of Sudama with His own hands.

While Draupadi, Arjun & Sudama were very very dear to Him, the sole purpose of Krishna’s existence was establishing righteousness. The above examples give the following important messages.

• No task is menial or below one’s dignity.
• Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
• Get involved when with your body, mind and soul when you can make a difference.
• Evolve as a visionary & strategist.
• Always strive for a great cause.
  
  A great leader is one who before expecting results from his team, sets examples of excellence and greatness.
  
  Please share your ideas and suggestions.
  
  
  

Corporate Social Responsibility- long way to go

Every child in this picture is suffering from polio. Some have been afflicted in both- leg & hand. There’s one child who can neither sit nor stand except on his tricycle, & to attend an hour’s class, he leans across the wall in a circular posture. India is one of the four countries where Polio still exists, it has been eradicated from the rest of the world. One of the main reasons of polio is excretion in open. Yes we as a country (and as people too?) are so diverse that on one hand there are Antillas being constructed and on the other, there’s a majority of population living in grave poverty. People in interior villages can’t even afford two square meals, sanitation is a far- fetched dream for them.

Recently a group of young men & women from Stanchart Bank contributed their one day’s salary which came to around Rs.20.00 lacs, and they changed the face of a village they were working on. They got houses constructed along-with proper sanitation facilities, and started a school also for the children living in that village. In the second phase, they are in the process of contributing another day’s salary to generate similar funds to upgrade school facilities. Commendable indeed! Many NGOs are doing great work like this.

But, if a bunch of corporate employees can change a village and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants, can’t our leading corporate houses make a similar effort? How can we be so indifferent that we get to see nothing beyond filling our own pockets?

Though some of companies have been doing a lot for humanitarian causes, yet the number of such companies is abysmally disproportionate looking to the need. In a country known for its rich culture filled with humaneness, compassion and brotherhood, do need Bill Gates & Warren Buffet to come and motivate us to work towards our responsibility, so called CSR? They seem to have adopted and implemented our philosophy of-Puta saput to kyun dhan sanchay, puta kaput to kyun dhan sanchay. Do we really need to hoard for ourselves and our posterity? High time to do some soul searching and come back on track.

Please do give your inputs and feedback.