Self-Belief & Teamwork – A Deadly Combo!!

 When Justin Langer (coach of the Australian Cricket Team) during an interview with Matthew Hayden said “Learnt a lesson from the series, never ever underestimate India”, gave me goosebumps and made me quite proud as any other Indian. The fragmented version of “Impossible” – ‘I’m possible’ turned into a reality. History was rewritten on 19^th Jan this year when the Indian cricket team were crowned as the Champions in the Indo-Aussies Test cricket series, invading Fortress Gabba. Yesss…we did it – were the words that as a remote spectator came out from my mouth. Decimating the Aussies in their own backyard in the absence of the captain Virat and key bowlers like Bumrah & Ishant and also rising from the ashes post the terrible loss in the 1^st Test speaks volumes of the never-say-die attitude of this Indian Team.

Despite innumerable injuries, this new-generation Indian players of the likes of Rishabh Pant, Shardul Thakur, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar backed by their immense self-belief has made it happen. Rahane’s astute leadership along with a century in the 2^nd test itself set the tone for the series as it seemed that the team had taken a pledge to bounce back. Even though the team was being bowled out for a meagre 36 in the second innings of the 1^st test, Rahane along with Aswin, Gill, Pujara and Pant were mentally very tough and stayed positive during hardest of the times while encountering one of the fiercest bowling attacks. To come back after being battered and bruised in the 1^st Test, it is really difficult to pull oneself up and needed a lot of character. The team didn’t brood over the past rather developed the inner quality to rejuvenate themselves and think of the present and march ahead. This certainly says it all about this cricketing unit where hierarchy isn’t followed but respected within. The partnership between Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur in the 2^nd test was another peak moment that kept the team highly energized and optimistic. Cheteshwar Pujara relatively didn’t score much, but his dogmatic approach and determined mindset enabled him to hang around 1000 balls taking blows after blows on his body, thus becoming one of the key ingredients of Indian team’s success. Rishabh Pant who is very often criticized for his reckless batting, turned it for his country. The display of his batting prowess coupled with his resolve to carry the winner’s tag converted a possible draw to a win. The tenacity and resilience of two injured warriors in the form of Ashwin and Vihari in the 3^rd Test to salvage a draw when the team was on the verge of loss is no less than a huge victory. Even though both of them couldn’t make it to the squad in the 4^th test, but they ensured that they don’t give it up at any cost in spite of their excruciating pain. It certainly created a ripple effect and the morale of the team went sky-high before the 4^th test. The rookie pace attack combined with Ashwin’s supreme confidence deserved full credit for their relentless perseverance throughout the entire series, rising up to the occasion whenever the situation demanded. Certainly, an unreal victory in absolute terms after getting all-out for 36 and this has become real only because of the deadly combo of self-belief and teamwork. These lessons would be highly beneficial for every individual and team irrespective of domain and should get injected to the DNAs.

I would end here with Joe Paterno’s quote, “When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality.”

Mahi’s Impeccable Leadership – A Case Study!!

15^th Aug 2020, Mahi or MS or MSD or Thala’s retirement date from International Cricket. Not so astonishing, but he continued with his low-profile approach even while announcing his retirement through an Instagram post. Captain Cool as he is popularly known has put an end to the continuous discussions about his retirement post India’s exit from the 2019 World Cup. But very less people would be aware of the fact that he took a sabbatical from cricket and joined his regiment in the Territorial Army as he couldn’t digest his run-out incident in the semi-final match against New Zealand. The last two inches to the crease which he couldn’t make it on that day was haunting him like anything. Making it to the play-offs for the eleventh time in the IPL history seems to be pretty difficult for him now and the critics have not missed a single moment to raise questions about his captaincy and batsmanship. However, Dhoni has been transparent and admitted about the process gaps during a conversation with his Chennai Super Kings fans and potentially gearing up for the next IPL season. Such is the aura of the India’s greatest ever cricket leader who accepts loss with grace even after earning the Winners’ tag in three major ICC Championships.

The journey of this small-town boy from Ranchi must be a dream for him prior to 2004 but he has turned it to a reality. His ethics, personality and way of leadership is certainly a case-study for management professionals as well as business conglomerates. His leadership style undoubtedly offers invaluable lessons to all people managers at all levels. Many of us many a times have realized that leadership is not about a position or designation but an attitude. It’s all about making a difference to one’s own self and others. Handing over the last over to a non-regular bowler named Joginder Sharma in the first ICC Twenty-20 World Cup against the arch-rivals Pakistan stunned the cricketing pundits of the world and the rest is history, thus led to the evolution of one of the best ever cricketing brains in world cricket and an unconventional leader. The triangular series win against Australia in Australia in 2008 was a redefining moment in India’s cricketing history as a young Indian side under the charismatic leadership of Dhoni defeated the mighty Aussies in their own backyard which was next to impossible during that time. He has built a culture of fearlessness attitude and raised the confidence quotient to the highest degree within the team. He promoted himself up in the batting order during the finals of 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and steered India to victory when he was not in his prime form, thus leading by example from the front basically when it mattered the most. When Rohit Sharma was going through mediocre performances in the earlier part of his cricketing career, Dhoni promoted Rohit as an opener. Needless to say, but that very decision is still paying rich dividends to Indian cricket. Dhoni has the uncanny ability to identify the spark in his team members and later capitalizes on it. Since then Rohit has never looked back and is currently regarded as one of the most explosive openers in world cricket. The world was in a state of shock in ICC Champions Trophy 2013 Final when Dhoni gave the ball to Ishant Sharma in a crunch situation, who got smacked all around the park in his previous over. Believe me or not, Ishant picked up two valuable wickets that eventually led to India winning the championship. Dhoni’s enormous trust on his team-members is second to none and is very much needed in any team. In ICC World Twenty20 2016, his tactical prowess came to the fore when he did the unthinkable while keeping, with Bangladesh needing two runs off the last ball, he decided not to wear his right glove. He collected the ball in his right hand and ran himself towards the stumps to get the run-out executed in a nail-bitter finish at Bangalore. It exactly happened as he scripted. His immaculate strategy puts himself in the category of the finest readers of the game. No matter what the situation is, MS stays calm and composed every time and instills the same in his team also. When he realized that Wriddhiman Saha can fill his shoes in the Test Cricket side, he hung his boots in the midst of the Australian Tour. He has played a vital role in the emergence of Virat as a leader and moved out from the captaincy role at the right juncture. This speaks volumes of a leader who nurtures future players and leaders too. As a true servant of Indian cricket, he drew attention of the Selection Committee about the fitness issue of the senior players thereby raising eyebrows among the public. Brickbats were hurled at him and even his effigies were burnt but as a visionary leader, he was thinking ahead of times only for the betterment of Indian cricket.

I may not be wrong in stating that few sports analytics companies by now would have created AI/ML models to analyze his on-field leadership tactics. In a nutshell, Dhoni as India’s cricket captain has displayed true facets of leadership which all people managers across domains can imbibe and get their style enriched. It’s high time for Corporate India to learn from this unconventional yet astute leader. I would end by putting one of his famous quotes – “To be a great leader, you need to go down the untraveled path for others to follow”.

 

Positivity, in-built or made?

A human being’s mind is a boon for him/her. Rather I would say it’s magic. From neuroscience and psychology standpoint, there are around 86 billion neurons in a human brain. If these neurons start transmitting positive signals, we can’t even imagine the power of that positive energy!! It is contagious in nature and creates a ripple effect. It’s benefits are multi-fold; it changes the personality of a person completely and the way of looking at various aspects of life also changes remarkably. The adrenaline rush in the body created through that energy eliminates all the unnecessary negative thoughts, whether it is egoism, depression, psychopathy etc. You find a newer version of yourself and it has a cascading effect too. When you talk with your family members, friends, relatives etc., your wordings say it all. It is equally complemented by your actions also. People start perceiving you very well. In the professional world, it creates a significant impact amongst your peers, team-members and other colleagues leading to a very cohesive and inclusive culture.

Before we drill down further, I want to share something about Arunima Sinha, world’s first female amputee to climb Mount Everest. She lost her left leg in a very tragic incident when she was thrown off the moving Padmawati Express train for resisting a chain-snatching attempt by hooligans in 2011. When she started recovering, she made up her mind to scale the highest peak of the world and she did it in 2013 with a prosthetic leg. It is nothing but sheer positivity. If she could, then we can. Certainly, the question that arises is how can we build it. It’s nothing complex to decipher or imbibe. Then, what is this positivity? Is it willpower, confidence or a blend of both? There is no right or wrong answer to this. What I believe, it’s all in the mindset. One’s upbringing plays a huge role but it’s not the sole factor. When you expose yourself with various sections of people across the society, you start knowing them, understand them, learn from them and then try to inculcate their good qualities within you. The wealth of knowledge keeps on increasing as you keep on reading books, journals, papers etc. Practicing yoga and breathing exercises on a daily basis creates that stimulus and livens you up. Engaging oneself in walking, running, playing any sort of sport augments your physical and mental well-being. Listening to songs or playing any musical instrument builds a soothing ambience and bolsters your mental equilibrium. Whether you watch inspiring and motivational videos in YouTube or hear to TED Talks, it’s your choice how you infuse them in your life. Last but not the least, if you make an effort to show your gratitude to one single person and make it a part of your daily routine, I bet you would be the happiest and respected person in this world.  In short, do whatever you enjoy to do, as it boosts up the happiness quotient and makes you feel satisfied. There is no mantra for this. However, if we want to redefine ourselves, then we need to stay positive irrespective of anything and everything. I am not an alien to it. This reminds me of a famous quote from Winston Churchill - “The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.”

Change – Accept it but can't ignore it !!

Did anybody ever dream to operate out of home consecutively for around four months barring few exceptional cases? The answer would be a big “No”. However, the current situation has made it exceptional for everybody. The third decade of this century has started in a very topsy-turvy fashion. The word “corona” has reached to every nook and corner of the world. Whether it is a kid or nonagenarian, each one is aware of the hazardous corona virus. Almost the entire world was in a standstill position, there was complete lock down. Economies shrinking than ever before, reminds people of “The Great Depression” days. Recession has somewhat crept in and employees have been provided with pink slips. The migrant workers and the daily wagers are sensing the utmost pain. In the midst of this killer corona, Mother Nature has devastated lives through Cyclone Amphan, tremors, locust attack etc. adding insult to injury. Even though people have started living with it, but the fear and anxiety is still looming large on the horizon.

Companies have to let their professionals to operate remotely. The contours of professional life have been changed; home has become the new office. New employees are on-boarded virtually while exit formalities are also done in a similar manner too. Women employees are running a double-show ensuring effective business delivery as well as the role of a perfect home-maker. At the same time, male employees are extending their hand to their spouses for the house-hold activities. Many people have added new routines to their lives while some others have revived their earlier habits. Schools have been doing online classes which made my six-year old son used to Zoom/Google Meet ensuring the headphone & microphone are working as expected before his class. My father who is a retired Govt. official never saw me taking calls and attending back-to-back meetings became quite flabbergasted. Now he is used to the way we operate. Families have started watching mythological TV serials of the 80’s such as “Mahabharata” and “Ramayana” together which are telecasted now again. I have started adapting to situations such as my son running in between and showing his BMW M3 GTR drawing and asking for feedback while I am in the middle of a meeting. My apartment society’s circumference would be around 200 metres and I never used to walk inside it because of a short track. Now, I am jogging for around 10 kilometres in the same premises. Aren’t these all changes in our lives? Many people are questioned about managing the current situation which is nothing but a paradigm shift in everybody’s lives. Neither the state-heads nor the CEOs of all organizations would have ever dreamt about this in their wildest of their dreams. However, a crisis has happened and it needs to be dealt with when the exact solution is in progress. Per me, it’s all in the mindset. Your mind is the pivot. Then the question arises – “How to maintain the mental equilibrium in the midst of such unprecedented times”.

In spite of the horrendous impact of this corona pandemic, the medical and police & security personnel continue to be the beacon of hope and strength by putting their lives at stake. Their indomitable courage and selfless service brings back the smile on each one’s face. They work day in and day out to ensure there is minimal loss of life. This kind of service which may be a part of their daily routine, inculcates in every individual the resolve to fight against this dreadful disease and I am not an alien to it. I try to share the same with my little one too. Also, every morning, I keep on discussing with my ageing parents regarding these unsung heroes which includes but not limited to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, other medical personnel, NGO professionals and the khaki-dressed personnel and their level of commitment. The basic intent from my end is to spread positive vibes across the home in these worrisome moments. Few days back, there was a terrorist attack in Handwara (J&K) where 3 CRPF personnel lost their lives and 7 others were injured. These Army jawans are engaged in their BAU activities even in these hardest of times barely thinking about their families. It has not only boosted my willpower but also brought in more positivity in life and more balanced mental equilibrium. “The show must go on” irrespective of anything and everything. I have passed on the same to my family, relatives and well-wishers so that their mental wellbeing is maintained and each one of them remain healthy both mentally and physically.

Whether you adopt yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, walking, running, exercising, playing musical instruments, reading books, blogging, listening to songs, watching movies and/or web-series, gardening etc., it’s individual choice to keep themselves upbeat during this catastrophic situation. Actually, for me it’s a blessing in disguise, every crisis provides an opportunity and covid-19 is no different. How we lift ourselves in these times is of paramount importance. When I peep through my balcony window in the morning, I see people applauding the activities of the sweepers and other street workers, which was not the case earlier. This is the positive impact that Corona has created in a short span. Team members and office colleagues have come closer than earlier. Mindset of people have started changing towards empathy and affection leading to more bonding amongst them. The need of the hour is to maintain business continuity and at the same time ensure family safety. This reminds me of Charles Darwin’s theory of the survival of the fittest. Each one of us need to be more disciplined in leading a healthy life and sustain a work-life balance. Scientists and researchers across the globe are working on the vaccine diligently to provide the much-needed relief to the entire humanity. The day is not far when we would see the normalcy back in our lives. I wish the corona virus allows the entire human race to lead a mask-free and sanitizer-free life. This reminds me of a famous quote from Michael Jordan – “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around it.”

Corona’s Other Side

The inevitable and the unimaginable has happened. Mother Earth has been weeping because of the deadly corona-virus disease. Almost the entire world is in standstill position, there is complete lock down. Economies shrinking than ever before, reminds people of ‘The Great Depression’ days and comparison has started between that and the current crisis. Companies have to let their professionals to operate remotely. The fear and anxiety among the masses has been increasing. In spite of this, the medical and police/security personnel continue to be the beacon of hope and strength by putting their lives at stake. Their indomitable courage and selfless service brings back the smile on Mother Earth’s face, which justifies that a brave man smiles at the time of adversity. This kind of attitude during this time inculcates in every individual the resolve to fight against this dreadful disease and I try to share the same with my little one too, who is six years old. During a telephonic conversation with my sister, came to know about some people who have been tested positive near her vicinity and she seems to be scared by that news. I asked her a simple question – “What would you have advised your brother to do if he were a doctor today”. She was speechless but the straight-forward response is that I have to do my job, which the policemen and medical professionals are doing it right now. They are not scared when they are in the proximity of the affected people. It has not only bolstered my willpower but also ignited the never-give up spirit. When I peep through the balcony window in the morning, I see people applauding the activities of the sweepers, which was not the case earlier. This is the positive impact that Corona disease has created in a short span. Families, relatives, friends and office colleagues have come more closer than earlier. Situation like this has united humanity than ever before. Mindset of people have started changing towards empathy and affection, which was declining in this era of self-absorbed society. Scientists, entomologists and researchers across the globe are working on the vaccine day in and day out to provide the much-needed relief to the entire humanity. The day is not far when we would see the normalcy back in our lives. I wish the corona virus shows “Karuna” (English meaning ‘compassion’) on the entire human race as early as possible. This reminds me of a famous quote from Michael Jordan – “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

Super Women

Have you heard about Tanushree Pareek? Very few people would respond in an affirmative way. Recently, she became the first woman combat officer to be commissioned by the Border Security Force (BSF) in its 51-year history. It is certainly a very proud moment for entire nation. I am really speechless while putting that she would be posted to command a unit of the 105th Battalion along the Indo-Pak border in Firozpur, Punjab. Doesn’t it feel astounding? Of course, yes! However, that’s reality. Deepa Malik also scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a Silver medal at the 2016 Rio Summer Paralympics in the shot put category. Deepa is a paraplegic, paralyzed from waist down and mother of two and wife of an Army officer. Life took a twist when a spinal tumor made walking impossible for her 17 years ago. The spinal tumor had to be operated and 31 surgeries were conducted on Deepa which was healed after 183 stitches between her waist and legs. Despite all these tragic sufferings, she made the country proud in the global arena and thus gave a befitting response to her critics. This is a perfect example of sheer willpower and indomitable determination. Entire country went bamboozled by her incredible achievement.  Few months back, there was a buzz about the names like Dipa Karmakar, Sakshi Malik, PV Sindhu, Aditi Ashok etc. Moreover, they have become household names now. What do they have in common amongst them? All are girls! Does it sound bit strange? No, not at all! These girls have made the entire nation proud because of their valiant efforts and superlative performances in the Rio Olympics. They have highlighted India’s name in the world podium catering to varied sports. What they have done is that, they have made a cricket-maniac country awestruck. Definitely, it would give goosebumps when we know the reality which may seem stories to few. Dipa, the first ever Indian female gymnast to qualify for the Olympics attempted the Produnova vault in Rio, which is called as the “vault of death”. Only 2 gymnasts who competed in finals at Rio attempted this and Dipa was one of those. She belongs to the elite club of only five women to ever successfully land the Produnova. Certainly, a matter of chest thumping. Isn’t it? Can you imagine of a situation of preparing a stack of 8 to 10 crash mats on top of each other to make a vaulting platform? She has initially used spring boards made out of second-hand springs and shock absorbers from discarded scooters. For a state like Haryana which has the worst sex ratio among all the states in the country and known for female foeticide, Sakshi broke the medal drought by achieving the Bronze medal and also became the first woman in the wrestling field to do so. She had to fight with boys early in her career and face our age-old social stigma with women not allowed to participate in wrestling. This girl who has joined wrestling only to travel in an aeroplane has made it happen against all odds. Sindhu not only became the first Indian female shuttler to reach the final of the Olympic badminton singles event, but also became the first woman silver medalist of India. Her unparalleled work ethics along with supreme determination is quite conspicuous as she used to wake up every day at 4:30 a.m. to practice with her coach. During her training days, she used to even travel 56 km every day. Many of us wouldn’t have heard of Aditi Ashok. However, at the age of 18, she is the youngest Indian professional golfer and gave her ultimate best in Rio with the greatest of the game, even though her world ranking is at 462. Making it to this stage from a non-traditional golf country like India is a feat by itself. In addition to the above, Wing Commander Pooja Thakur became the first lady officer to lead the Inter-Service Guard of Honour for the US President Mr. Barack Obama when he visited India last year. Last but not the least, Vani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh created history as India’s first women fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force. The list keeps on continuing like this. It speaks volumes of these wonderful women of our country. The women-power has been rising day by day but we have a long way to go. Everybody but not limited to parents, society and government has to play a significant role if we want this transformation to happen in a radical manner. Appropriate measures have to be taken to curb the menace of female foetcide and it has to happen in a very systematic process. We have to come out of the shambles of our social stigmas and provide equal opportunities to women. Our male-chauvinistic society has to change their mindsets immediately so that we can produce more super women. While penning this, I bow down my head with utmost dignity towards these super women. Is this the beginning of a new India? Only time would be able to answer this.

Aditi Ashok

Dipa Karmakar

Pooja Thakur

PV Sindhu

Mohana Singh, Bhawana Kanth and Avani Chaturvedi

Sakshi Malik

Tanushree Pareek

Deepa Malik

Women Empowerment - A Reality or Farce?

Women Empowerment - A Reality or Farce?

Last year our financial regulator had made it mandatory that each and every company should have a woman member in its Board of Directors. Do you think that really sends a message to our society and the entire country that we are on the path of women empowerment? I don’t think so. Still in 2015, women are humiliated, tortured and victimized even though around 190 years has passed to the abolishment of “Sati” system. It is not only happening in each and every home of our country but also in each and every school, college, office etc. Few politicians describe and also pass comments on the body parts of women politicians in very awkward manner even in the highest institutions of our country. It can’t be more despicable than this. A woman is exploited and disrespected before marriage and after marriage also. How does our society really look at them? We see them as toys of erotic pleasure and enjoyment, caretaker of household activities and family etc. None of us gives a mere thought to their self-esteem and dignity. The prevalence of the so called male chauvinistic society is still there. As on today’s date, parents don’t find their girl child safe even in schools because of the increase in molestation and rape incidents in schools. In colleges and universities, readers and professors show objectionable kind of behavior towards girl students and even demand for sexual favors to provide good grades. Girls are subjected to eve teasing in and outside of their educational institutions. They aren’t safe while commuting in buses, cabs and local trains. A girl goes through a tough questionnaire session during bride selection process by the boy’s family and relatives. Post marriage, whether the girl is working or non-working, she faces the heat to the maximum extent from her in-laws. Numerous brutalities are inflicted upon them which make them frightened of their lives. Because of all these, few of them commit suicide and few of them become mentally sick. She is expected to give birth to a male child so that the future generation of the family can move forward. Female foeticide is also quite high in our country. In each and every office, women are perceived to be less talented and most of the times are deprived of rising to higher positions. Take the case of our Hindi film industry, the biggest male superstars were envious when Deepika Padukone gave back-to-back 5 super-hit films in 2014. Even in sports arena, sportswomen feel unequal and disgraced. Often, the senior players and the coaches torture them physically as well as mentally. This speaks a lot of the rampant discrimination on the basis of sex. The question that comes to my mind is ‘are we not scavengers in the form of human beings’? Have we not been cruel and barbaric towards them? Of course, the answer would be yes. We maintain double standards, we pretend to be good towards them in front of others but our acts say something different. Our heads should be hung in shame. Women empowerment has become a buzzword since last few years. We say about providing equal opportunities in order to let them feel equal with men. But, that is on pen and paper only. The reality is million miles away. The women themselves can speak the bitter truth in a much candid manner. We have come to this planet only because of them as they have the enormous capability of bearing excruciating pain by keeping the child in their womb for 9 long months but still bring in happiness in everybody’s face. This is an age of Indra Nooyi, Sunita Williams, Ira Singhal, Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom and lots many. Our social stigmas are proving to be a major hurdle in their empowerment. A radical change is needed desperately in our thought process, demeanor and attitude to bring back the respect for our women which they deserve day in, day out everywhere. It is quite obvious that it’s a big challenge and a massive effort is needed towards this. But, it’s achievable. A small effort by everyone can reap in good results. Let’s pledge to extend our support so that the girl child gets the right education and later on achieves equality of status and opportunity in our society. Let’s join hands together to stop women becoming the newspaper headlines from the negative perspective. In addition to this, women themselves have to further strengthen their determination to move forward and try every attempt to reduce the atrocities against them. Mere reservation for them won’t help much unless the system allows room for more power and authority. New policies need to be formulated and existing policies has to be amended to provide greater opportunities and flexibilities for them. Don’t expect Aamir Khan coming in with a show like “Satyameva Jayate” every time and spreading the message of humility, dignity, mutual respect, culture and moral values amongst the masses. It’s our collective responsibility to value this monument of love and sacrifice called as “woman”. Hope in another 10 to 15 years down the lane, we would be in a society where they are duly respected and considered as equal with men. Then, we may be able to say women empowerment is not a farce but it’s a reality.