Last night, Pakistan beat England by 38 runs; it was indeed an emphatic win! What made the win stand out was that it was not a one man show, but a team effort spearheaded by the captain’s and coach’s leadership.
Be it a field of cricket or the field of business, it’s all about leading a team, managing a diverse set of individuals with distinct skills and abilities, operating in the difficult of situations, and providing the best possible outcomes.
Each Pakistani player was motivated, determined, and willing to do his best, and that was clearly propagated from the top; Afridi (the captain/leader) indeed led from the front. When questioned at the post toss interview about the reaction to the PCB chairman’s intervention, he simply replied that his focus is on cricket (in business terms, focus must remain on the project, its deliverables, and consequent successful completion).
It is vital for a good leader to be constantly conscious of the objectives, and not to let any hindrances deter in the achievement of the overall goal.
We entrepreneurs can learn a lot from yesterday’s game; how to stay determined, focused, motivated, and propagate the same onto the team, how to constantly be in touch with your team, passing on instructions, informing about the overall goal, being a mediator, making sure each team member performs at its best, and then appreciating the efforts, taking care of the team as a whole.
Leadership demands sustainability. Let’s see how well the Pakistani cricket team sustains its new found enthusiasm, especially amidst all the impediments.