Our champions, Team India bowed out gracefully to the Aussies earlier last month from the ICC World Cup 2015. The Men in Blue fought valiantly all through the tournament and in the process taught some very important lessons. Management is one field, which one can learn about right from everyday lives to global events. Why should the world cup campaign be any different? Right from budding entrepreneurs to seasoned businessmen, there were management lessons for everyone in it.
Here are 4 management lessons one can learn from India’s World Cup campaign:
A. Leadership can be a boon or a bane
Our captain cool, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was praised all through the World Cup uptil the quarter finals. For being able to rotate his best bowlers to pick 70 wickets in 7 games to playing second fiddle and barely batting in all those games, he was appreciated for it all. Just when the going got tough in the semis and Team India lost, he faced a downpour of criticism.
For any good leader must understand that leadership is like walking on a thin sword. You can injure yourself on either sides. The learning from this is that, leaders should be well prepared to deal with the fact that they will constantly be praised and also criticized for every move they make. When bringing in profits, it will be all roses… the moment they cause losses, there will be thorns.
B. If top performers fail, external factors get blamed
Virat Kohli was out of form for most of the tournament, so was Ravindra Jadeja. For the failure of their performances, several non – cricketing factors were blamed. Unfair but true. This happens in the real world too.
When in a sales scenario, if a top performer fails to bring in success over and over again, his personal life and fondness for his/her job comes under scrutiny. The learning from this is that the top performers must understand that consistency is the key to success. Otherwise, an organization will be patient for a while before they start questioning their motives and work ethic.
C. Momentum can turn out to be futile
With 7 out of 7 wins away from home, 70 wickets, successful run chases and one of the highest wicket taking bowlers in their armory, team India seemed to have had the best imaginable momentum. Away from home, this was vital but it still was not enough when it came down to facing the Aussies.
In real life too, one success after another often creates a chain reaction of accomplishment and the momentum of belief that your organization can be on top of the pyramid. But this can turn out to be futile. One small mistake and the momentum could be lost. It is as easy as losing a toss and going on to lose the game.
D. Even Minnows can give you a scare
Yes, Team India did win 7 games in a row but a couple of them were not comfortable wins. The minnows of the group, Bangladesh gave Team India quite a scare. Zimbabwe too hammered Indian bowling attack as if they were an ordinary team.
In business too, sometimes small players like new entrants and startups can give established businesses a scare. The lesson one must learn is never take any competitor lightly. The moment you do, they may just seek the opportunity and fight themselves back into the game. The best example is the e-commerce industry which has been booming. Every other day a new player offers a better discount and the consumer loyalty shifts.
If you too have entrepreneurial dreams or wish to have a venture of your own, you need to have faith in your Chatur Idea. You will always wonder who will fund this idea and from where will you find investors. In that case, you can participate in the #BeAChatur Contest and not only be mentored but also stand a chance to win a whopping Rs. 10 Lac funding for your dream startup idea.
