It’s said that every success gives us great memories and every failure gives us useful lessons. But there are some successful occasions that are not only etched in our minds forever, but also, they teach us a lot of useful lessons. Today’s T20 Cricket World Cup match played between India and South Africa was one of those occasions.
India defeated South Africa in a close contest in the T20 world cup final today and for millions of cricket fans across the world and especially in India, this day will be remembered for rest of our lifetime. But how did it all happen? What lessons can we learn from this great match played today? I have tried to enumerate some of the lessons that I got from this match. Please feel free to add your points in the comments.
1. Teamwork- This has been reiterated by management gurus for ages. In the end, what matters is teamwork. Individual brilliance by some team members does give you a headstart, but what makes you pass the finish line is teamwork. Even the weakest members of the team can rise to the occasion and can save the day for you as Hardik Pandya proved today. What is important for a leader is that he keeps the confidence in his team members, provides the required support to those who need it and is there for them all the time.
2. It’s not over, until it’s over- I would not be surprised if many fans would have lost all hopes when SA needed 30 runs of last 30 balls. It’s possible they might have switched off their TVs also. The way India came back in the game again was nothing short of a fairy tale. The same applies in our professional lives also especially in sales role. We play our games with all honesty and dedication until we close the deals and never give up whatever may be the roadblocks. Never lose trust, never lose hope. Even if there is 5% chance of winning something, go for it.
3. Keep it simple – What Bumrah and Arshdeep showed today that the key to being successful is to keep it simple and consistent. Throughout the tournament and especially in today’s game, both of them kept their line and length consistent and stuck to their basics. The same is true in our professional lives also. The only message that I give to all my teammates whom I work with is to keep it consistent. We do not need all the smart team members in our teams. Instead we need normal teammates who do their work smartly, every day. Stick to the basics, play your game and success will follow.
4. Delegate – Kohil announced his retirement after the game and gave the reason that he wanted new generation to take over and bring new ideas and energy to the game. This was a true example of a great leader. A great leader is one who passes on the baton, empowers their people and makes ways for his team members to take more and more responsibilities. Our true skill as a great leader does not lie in just building our own skills and resumes, it lies in how we develop the people who work with us. Empowerment, trust and delegation goes hand in hand in achieving success as a team.
5. Family matters- For me, the most satisfying visual of today’s game came after the game. After SA was defeated, we saw their opening batsmen sitting in the field and playing with his daughter. But what made that moment more memorable was Indian wicketkeeper walking up to the father-daughter duo and talking, smiling and getting involved in the magic moment. This is the most important lesson that I took from the game. Whether we win, we lose – It’s all about human relationships. The relationships that we build with our family members, colleagues, business partners, friends and everybody around us. Honest and transparent relationships are our keys to success.
