Lessons from the Cricket World Cup Finals

It was great to see India win the Cricket World Cup 2011...after 28 years!!!  I really liked the match as it was very keenly competed and the game was played in its spirit.  Sri Lanka lost the match but the Sri Lankans won the hearts of millions because of their never say die attitude.

Personally, after watching the match and also hearing the comments from the young players, I culled out few lessons that will suit the Corporate World.  The comments I heard from Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli, "We played this match for Sachin and the Country", was an amazing learning.  Once there was an objective to win this game for the country and for someone who has played for this country for 21 years and was playing what could probably be his last World Cup Tournament, the whole team rallied around this objective.  So, a clear objective and one that is well articulated and understood can get a team to focus and go beyond the calling.  However, an objective alone is not enough. There must be a reason for each player to rally around that objective. There was pride here.  There was love for a team mate and the country.  All these made a huge difference.

The Captain, MS Dhoni, led from the front.  He played an innings that will be remembered in history as one of the best because it was under the most trying of circumstances.  With the top two batsmen gone when the score was 31, he watched two young players stabilise the innings. When one of them got out, he promoted himself in the batting order to come to the field. This would have been one of the most complex calls to take as the stakes were very high.  There were at least 2 other better batsmen but he decided that it was best that he walk out to steady the innings further and score at a brisk pace.  He spoke to the coach and to the team and walked out.  Clearly shows that he was leading from the front. He was not afraid to push for a change in the plan when the situation on the ground had changed.  He showed he was constantly reading the situation, looking for best alternatives and discussing with his team and the coach on the alternatives before changing course.  A leader needs to do this continuously.  Change, as everyone says, is the only constant.  A leader will not be able to anticipate all changes. He/she must continuously monitor changes and be fearless in taking suitable actions and decisions.  In this he must be collaborative enough to involve others in the decision but take accountability for the decisions.

Dhoni said something else during his interview which I thought was really interesting.  He said that since the team had won this match, many things get overlooked.  There were questions relating to why he played few players in the side and rested some.  All these would have been points for discussion, post mortem and criticism if India had lost the game.  As in this game, a leader takes decisions in the best interest of the company. He/she may not have all the data when he/she takes this decision.  Many of these will work and some will fail.  The leader must be willing to stand up and face the consequences of his wrong decisions.  He must have the courage to accept that some of his decisions went wrong.  Most importantly, those reviewing these decisions should look at the circumstance under which these decisions were taken before making their call/statements about the leader.  It must be understood by all that it is human to err and the leader is also only a human.  Only the person occupying the seat really understands the "heat" in that seat.

I saw something else that was pleasantly surprising. Usually, we see players wilting under pressure, losing their cool, not playing to the game plan and playing the game in their normal style without considering the situation they have walked in to.  This Indian side did not do that.  I saw youngsters keep their cool, not losing heart when two veterans fell cheaply in the game, change their game plan effectively when circumstances changed, played to the situation on the ground and won the game.  I also saw some phenomenal flexibility in the coach to help the captain take decisions based on the reading of the situation.  This team work was amazing to see and the team got the results that it sought.

Lastly, I must mention how graceful the losing Sri Lankan captain Sangakarra was.  He was proud of his teams' efforts and praised them for an amazing match. He said how well fought the match was.  He said he was disappointed with the result because his team lost but he praised India as the better team that day.  He was honest, open, showed his vulnerability and did not let his team down.  The mark of a true sportsman, captain and Leader!!!