Management Lessons for Success
Distinguished speakers, including cricket experts and business leaders, share their perspectives on how to leverage the spirit of sportsmanship and the tactics of the game to achieve excellence in an organization.
Mr. Syed Kirmani: We should believe in ourselves and our capability. Faith is the key to anybody’s success in any walk of life. I recall my experience in the Zimbabwe match, which we played during the 1983 Prudential World Cup.
When we started the campaign, we were one of the weakest teams in the competition. The very first match of the tournament was in Old Trafford against the mighty West Indians, who had won the inaugural 1975 World Cup and the 1979 World Cup. They were gunning for a hat-trick. We lost in the inaugural edition and didn’t even qualify for the 79 World Cup.
It’s a Honeymoon!
Each one of us had a different notion about going to England to represent the country in the 1983 World Cup. One of them said, “I’m going on my honeymoon.” Another one said, “I’m going to have a great holiday.” Another one said, “I’m going to enjoy myself.” The first match in Old Trafford was against the mighty West Indies. We won that match very comprehensively. It was a big boost to the entire cricket team. Captain Kapil Dev said, “We have beaten the world champions. Now we don’t have to look back at all.”
There were seven seniors to Kapil Dev in our team. Before the first match against the West Indies, he said, “Gentlemen, I have seven seniors with me. I don’t have to tell the seniors what their responsibilities are, what their commitment is, and what their focus is. You have to guide me.” It’s a great script penned by a captain. I’ve never heard a captain say this. We all got together and shed our egos. Another very important turning point, which we realized later on, was capitalizing and bottlenecking the stronger opposition teams on their complacency. Complacency subconsciously comes into a team or individuals when they are at the helm of affairs. We don’t even realize that we are complacent.
Reeling at 17 for 5
In the Zimbabwe match, we were 17 for 5. I was never considered an all-rounder. So, I was relaxed when someone called me, “Kiri. Pad up.” I thought they were pulling my legs. When I looked outside the window, the scoreboard read 17 for 5. I don’t know whether I had a good breakfast or a good shower. I walked in when we were 120 for 8. After me was the last man Balvinder Singh Sandhu. I have never panicked in any situation. I believed in my strength. I went up to Kapil and said, “Captain, we are in a situation of do or die. If we are going to die, we have to hit and die.”
He said, “Don’t worry.” That was self-confidence and not overconfidence. I told Kapil, “I’ll play one delivery and give you five deliveries. You don’t have to play. You have to hit.” I was so fortunate to have given that 126 runs partnership. That partnership got us into the knockout stage of semi-finals. Then it was historic. We went on to win the finals. We played all the 30 overs remaining. It was 60 overs those days. We had pure white clothing. There are different characters in every team and every organization, and you have to put up with those characters. We had a wonderful character in our team – Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who was full of fun.
In my era of cricketers, nobody even told us to go and play cricket. It was natural instincts and the sporting blood that was gushing and flowing into our veins, I suppose. My father always drilled into my head to study, get a degree and get a government job. Of course, you also need lady luck. I was thrice dropped from the Indian team, but I never gave up and I always knew my strength. In organizations and corporates, wherever you are, you must believe in yourselves and do your best. You must excel in your organization and acquire the qualities of a good leader.
No to Complacency
The present Indian team is as good as the West Indies team in our era. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is building multiple stories on the strong foundation that we set with the 83 World Cup win. Cricket has become a religion after that in our country. Mahendra Singh Dhoni showed all the great credentials and qualities of a good captain and a great leader. He led from the front and is a gentleman to the core. One should imbibe such qualities from MS Dhoni. I rate him as the greatest captain. I feel very proud that I was the one who spotted Dhoni when he was fielding in a match against Jharkhand. The cricketers who are in the current team have all played under his captaincy. I only wish and hope that complacency does not creep into our team like what the West Indians had in 1983.
Between Cricket and Music
Mr. P. Unnikrishnan: I played a lot of senior-level cricket, and cricket has been my first love. Let me draw a little bit of an interesting parallel between Carnatic music and cricket. In my experience, once you possess the skill of Carnatic music, it is straightforward to understand all other genres of music in the world. The nuances in Carnatic music are so vast. The ragas and the structures are so complex. The same thing is true in cricket. If you’re a good cricketer, you can play any other game with ease. Cricket is a highly technical game. You have to perfect every shot. You have square cut, square drive, leg glance, cover drive, off drive, flick, reverse sweep and so on.
Cricket has taught me a lot of fabulous things and to be a better individual. We call it a gentlemen’s game. It has taught me to be a gentle person. It has taught me a lot of patience, to lead from the front working as a team. There was a point where I had to make a decision of settling between cricket and music. I once performed in a concert in Nagercoil. The same night, I took a bus to Chennai, got off near the airport and proceeded to the ground for a cricket match. In that match, I was bowled on the first ball. Then there was another match where I scored 150 runs. After the match, I straight went to a concert. This time, the concert went for a toss because I couldn’t sing. That was one big lesson I learned. You need to focus on one of your strengths and should not have your hands in too many plates.
Mr. Bosskey: Talking of this World Cup, who would have thought that the mighty South Africans would be all out for 83 against India? The Indian team is playing very well in all departments. Shami is bowling with real accuracy, and thanks to his bowling, people have got back their faith in God (punning on the word ‘shami’ which means God, in Tamil). Rohit Sharma is leading the team so well. As a captain of all times, I would rate Dhoni as extraordinary. As a player, he was lightning behind the stumps and thunder in front of the stumps.
Dr. Lalitha Balakrishnan: A lot has been said about Kapil Dev. He and Dhoni have won us World Cups. Even before Dhoni came on the scene, we had a very good captain, who probably made the players believe a lot in themselves – Sourav Ganguly. As a player, what is your take on Ganguli as a captain? In the 2003 World Cup, we played very well under him, until Ricky Ponting floored us.
Ms. Shebani Bhaskar: Ganguly took the game wider in India, and Dhoni took it deeper. Ganguly took cricket to the east of India. There is a lot of cricket in Calcutta now. That’s where I started my cricket when I was 11 years old. He picked the players, brought them into the team and gave them the confidence that they can beat foreign teams on foreign soil. He led by example. He backed his players to no end. We saw very different captaincy styles between Sourav Ganguly and someone like MS Dhoni. Dhoni was very calm, whereas Ganguly like Virat Kohli, expressed himself on the field. He identified players like Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, and he was able to build a team. Dhoni took that team, and they won the World Cup. Dhoni was absolutely brilliant. He had a great ability to identify players and to handle pressure.
Regarding the India-South Africa league match, India handled the pressure very well. Virat Kohli scoring the 49th century on his birthday was absolutely brilliant. South Africa has been very good when they haven’t had the scoreboard pressure. The handling of pressure comes back to the mental aspect of a player. Just keep it simple and get the basics right. We know of Sehwag as a dashing batter, but what made him so successful was his strong basics. His defence was impenetrable. For every company, the foundation needs to be strong. After that, you can grow as tall or as wide as you need. I think Ganguly did that. He gave us a roadmap of where to start, and then we’ve headed in the right direction.
Dr. Lalitha Balakrishnan: Afghanistan’s team has played very well in the tournament. Ajay Jadeja is the coach of the team. They have been playing to a plan and sticking to that plan. They have not tried to do anything innovative, anything totally different. What do you think of the coaching strategy of Ajay Jadeja?
Mr. Bosskey: I think Ajay Jadeja must be telling them not to be bothered about the big names of the opposition players. He would say, “If you want to bowl a yorker, don’t look at the face of the batsman. Just aim the foot of the player.” We have one of the world’s best spinners with us – Ashwin – who is playing as the 12th man. Whereas, Afghanistan plays four spinners, and they all bowl well. They are really shaping up well as a team.
Mr. Unnikrishnan: Afghanistan’s performance is a huge takeaway for everybody. You can never underestimate them. They could just come from behind you and overcome you.
Ms. Shebani Bhaskar: Afghanistan is also coached by Jonathan Trott. He was a very calm and collected person at the crease. He was very successful in chases for England. Ajay Jadeja along with Jonathan Trott have instilled that confidence in Afghanistan. We know that they’re very good in T10 and T20. They haven’t been as successful in 50 over cricket so far. But in this World Cup, we’ve seen a transformation in their batting style. They are natural hitters. But they have curbed their instincts and their natural shot selection to score big runs to win the game. They’ve used their mind to control their body. It’s been absolutely fantastic to watch them.
Dr. Lalitha Balakrishnan: How can the discipline and dedication required in the world of music, particularly in the classical genre, be compared to the commitment needed for success in cricket?
Mr. Unnikrishnan: You need to keep practicing for hours, both in cricket and music. That is the only way to succeed. When you practice, your confidence is at a high. The moment your mind is weak and you’re less confident, you will fail.
Dr. Lalitha Balakrishnan: Team dynamics are crucial in both cricket as well as corporate settings. Could you share some insights on that?
Ms. Shebani Bhaskar: Yes, team dynamics are extremely crucial. I’ve had the opportunity to play for many different teams in many different countries. Each team has been different. The cultures are very different as well. For example, when you play in the West Indies, they’re very cool. They might get out for duck and walk back to the pavilion laughing and dancing. Whereas here, you score a century but your team loses. You’re not allowed to smile. Different cultures definitely change the team dynamics. I have captained many teams in the US as well. I have played under captains who stare at you if you drop a catch. Having played under different captains, I realized that I wanted to be that person who encourages everyone.
Mr. Bosskey: Whether it is a team or an individual, you should never give up hope. Even at the last minute, things can change in your favour. I was once playing in a match where the opponents had to score three runs to win, off the last ball. They ran two, and we thought the match was tied. Just then, the umpire declared they had run one run short. So, we became a winner by one run. Also, whatever you do, there will be many people to put you down. I have faced so much of negative comments and ridicule, all my life. But I have never given up. Only because of this attitude, I am able to shine in many fields such as commenting, stand-up comedy, TV anchoring, and so on. Win or lose, you must be able to accept them and move on. You can enjoy watching cricket but do not lose your sleep and spoil your life, worrying too much about cricket. After all, your life is important to you.
Ms. Shebani Bhaskar: As a captain, if somebody drops the catch, I will go up to the fielder and say, “Hey, it’s okay. I know you didn’t do it on purpose. Just focus on the next ball.” You must create those dynamics in your team. In this tournament, I feel England has been affected by team dynamics quite a bit. As the defending champions, we expected them to do very well. When Brendon McCullum was their coach, not just on the field, but off the field also, they were very relaxed. They were allowed to express themselves very differently. That was not the case in this World Cup. It is a different coach now.
I’ve also been fortunate to work in companies and businesses very briefly, but I’ve had very good bosses. They’ve always encouraged me to keep playing. We must grow with and because of other people. That makes you very grateful. In sports also, you can grow together. I’ve known a couple of people who played together and who now are business partners. They maintain those relationships and friendships and keep growing. Regardless of the country you come from, regardless of the state or the language you speak, I think you can build friendships over a long distance.
Dr. Lalitha Balakrishnan: Our prayers and good wishes to the Indian cricket team. Management students have a lot to take home from cricket. I always believe that sports is a great teacher because it teaches us to play hard, be determined, dedicated, and win. But more importantly, it also teaches us to lose and be a smiling loser, because not all is lost, as Bosskey rightly pointed out; you win some days and you lose some days. That does not mean the end of this world or the end of your life. You’ve got to keep playing the game of life. If you believe in yourself, that self-belief will definitely take you places, and it is important to continue doing whatever you do in the right way and in the best possible way because, to you, you’re always a winner.
