The Hindu Business Line : Shoulder to shoulder with `The Wall'

Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Monday, Mar 05, 2007 ePaper

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The New Manager - Management
Shoulder to shoulder with `The Wall'

Ramanujam Sridhar

Lessons managers can draw from India's cricket captain

RAHUL DRAVID. The leader has to be firm whether it is on the cricket field or in the boardroom.

Normally one gets a chance to admire Rahul Dravid's cover drive from the stands anonymously as one of the thousands of spectators, or intimately, in slow motion from the luxury of one's favourite chair in one's own living room. But a few days ago, I was even more fortunate. I had the good fortune to share the podium in a panel discussion on leadership with India's understated cricket captain during a discussion organised by Skyline Constructions Ltd, Bangalore.

The impression and impact made by India's master batsman on me and on the audience in his role as a speaker that evening was no less than the ones he had made on bowlers over the years.

And yet it could easily have been a `sticky wicket' even for the technically correct batsman as he matched wits with some of the finest minds in business. But he came out with flying colours and held the audience enthralled as he had done hundreds of times with his batting in various cricket stadia around the world. Here are a few nuggets of wisdom from `The Wall' that I picked up.

Don't take yourself too seriously

I spend a lot of time with leaders of companies. Many of them have an inflated sense of self-importance and a larger than life view of themselves. Very often these people believe their own press releases.

In startling contrast is our astonishingly humble captain who said that he had miles to go before he went to sleep as there was always Don Bradman's unassailable record that would serve as a benchmark and a beacon for other successful cricketers as well. The learning whether you are in cricket or in business is this "Airplanes arrive. People don't."

No one is bigger than the game

One of the biggest challenges that leaders face is dealing with prima donnas. These are performers who have tremendous talent but throw tantrums as well. Their behaviour at times can disrupt the team and upset other team members.

The leader has to be firm whether it is on the cricket field or in the boardroom. Rahul Dravid made an important point when he said that certain key things are non-negotiable. And here is the difference. The team members determine what is non-negotiable. This is something that people in the corporate world would do well to take note of. So here's the learning. "Let the team decide what is non-negotiable. Then enforcement is not an issue."

Keep a cool head

People in the corporate world live and die by the quarter. Appraisals, raises, bonuses and even reprimands happen quarterly. We believe we had tough lives. And often we do. 360-degree appraisals and reviews can be arduous. And yet spare a thought for cricketers. A dropped catch, a misfield, an overthrow, a wrong decision are fodder for armchair critics and media.

Action replays and headlines the next day are things to be seen to be believed. Imagine being under the microscope every moment. Imagine being on guard even off the field as anything you say can and will get misquoted. Poor performance in two matches may seem an eternity, the way the media plays it up.

So what do cricketers do? They don't read papers or watch TV! More critically Rahul Dravid demonstrates the value of a cool head and a balanced approach. A sense of perspective. It's just a game. The learning. "Yes you must win. But then you can only do your best."

I left that evening an even greater admirer of `The Wall.' Indian cricket's future and leadership is in hands that are as safe and secure as his slip catching. Underrated. But the best.

(The writer is CEO of Brand-comm.)