As long as I can remember I have been a Ganguly fan. And when he retired from Cricket, I never thought I would ever find another sportsperson who could replace him in my heart.
But I was wrong.
Virat Kohli, a fellow Scorpion and a Chhola Bhatura lover, has come pretty close to being a second only to Ganguly and that’s a mighty feat.
Almost akin to punching a Test Hundred earlier today *wink wink* But if someone was to ask me – do I love Virat, the Cricketer or Virat, the Captain – I would have to admit that the latter inches ahead just a tad bit.
Not to take away from his batting and fielding skills, Virat’s captaincy is a unique mix of aggression and calm quiet. And tells you so much about him as a person and a leader.
Three Leadership Lessons to learn from Virat Kohli:
1. FIGHTS TO WIN
In most things it is upto the leader to set the tone and context for the journey ahead. You can succumb to vagaries of life and simply allow your team to move with the flow OR you can announce your intention to lead and move them on a path that leads to success.
Virat Kohli’s body language on field is loud and clear – we are here to win.
2. EVERY INDIVIDUAL MATTERS
As a leader you have to balance the needs of the team with every individual inside. And Virat Kohli has found the sweet spot when it comes to this. Where he will continue to move the team’s batting order to arrive at perfect combination, he would also encourage a Rohit Sharma / Hardik Pandya to play their game as they deem,
This unity in individuality is keenly followed in successful companies as well, where every employee is allowed to grow in their own stead while keeping an eye on overall company speak.
3. HUMBLE IN WIN, OPTIMIST IN DEFEAT
With Team India Virat has obviously seen some spectacular wins but when it comes to IPL, his losses with Royal Challengers Bangalore have been equally legendary. And every time he walked upto post match ceremony he was ready with clear pointers as to what went wrong and what went right and how every match ahead he believes they can win.
As a leader one finds such situations – where nothing one does can change the tide. And in this scenario your words, your perspective can impact your team immensely. A good leader while being candid about drawbacks and faults will also give an optimist approach to his or her team.
Needless to say, Virat Kohli’s captaincy is positively impacting not only Team India each day but all those young and budding leaders who derive inspiration from his stature and being. Leadership lessons from Virat Kohli in fact can be a book in itself! (Until that happens, make do with this post :D)
