Often in the course of life it
all boils downs to what kind of leader you are. Well, some of you will ask why
does one need to be a leader to be able to handle life’s vagaries. True enough…
but is n’t that the practical fact... That when it all boils down to taking
control of your life and making the best of it, you are your own leader…
My lessons in leadership actually
began way back when I was a kid playing gully
cricket... to the uninitiated, it means the cricket for the urbanites where
high rises ensues that no credible patch of green is left for anyone to play…
We would play on the road of the gully which used to be a narrow lane
with a dead end which ensured that we did not have much of a thoroughfare
traffic and play continued mostly uninterrupted..
Though it was a beautiful setting
for a typical gully cricket, what
made it sometimes frustrating was a swamp which was on one side and a building
on the other side whose owner proved to be more challenging than the swamp
itself in retrieving the ball…
To ensure that the wannabe cricketers
of morrow do not get adventurous and make the ball disappear (which by the way
came from collective funding from all players), hitting on that side of the
“ground” was taboo…
Now coming back to the game (and
also where the ball went missing), it threw up quite interesting leadership
types which was amazing and eye opening. Here goes the list:
1.
“No-pain No – Gain” Captain:
If you happen to have a captain belonging
to this criteria, then forget about corporate managers who are famous for
screwing your happiness. This guy alone could make you regret the hit to the
“forbidden land” for the rest of your life. Not only he will ensure that you go
out and search for the ball but in the case of non – retrieval would ensure
that you cough up the money or else given a life ban of the game (and believe
me “life ban” used to be serious business in our kind of game from which it was
quite difficult to “absolve” yourself)
I have seen this type of captain
go on to become, and you have guessed it correctly, corporate managers screwing
the happiness of all and sundry.
2.
Risk
diversification captain:
This type of captain had a sense
of equanimity and equality which could parallel non others. They believed in
the game being a team event for which each and every member of the team was
equally responsible. Hence they also implemented the philosophy by asking each
one to pay up equal amount to purchase a new ball.
I have found such player go on to
achieve the highest of professional laurels and goals in life.
3.
Blame
shifting captain:
This category of captain would
wait for the slightest hint of things (and in this case the ball) going amiss
and then pounce upon the next unsuspecting victim in shifting the blame
entirely. They were career cribbers who would go in to extensive length of how
one’s action could have led to thing being in the mess that it is right now. If
their view were not taken then they surely were to leave the game in a huff.
These people have gone on to achieve
not a great deal in life while also putting their family life in a mess.
4.
The “Deserter”
Captain:
While the above category
metamorphoses to this category quite late in the turn of events, this category
of captains, it seemed, were made to justify the proverb that “when the ship
sinks the rats are the first to evacuate” or one of its colloquial equivalent…
the perpetual expression on their face would be you-mess-with-me-and-I- am-
gonna-go-home…
These type of people have gotten
in and out of low paid jobs while at the same time not admitting that the fault
if any could be at their end not anyone else’s.
5.
The
“emotional” captain:
This type of captain would agree
to keep the cricketing kit at his home, carry them to and fro the playground
and also keep the wicket ready for the game to begin. For him it always seem as
if he is organising his own domestic function… running around and doing things
which was beyond the call of duty… such captains have typically large heart but
get hurt at the smallest of things… in case if a ball goes missing, and he is pressurised
by the blame shifting and/or the deserter captain, he not only agrees to pay
for the full amount but also throws in some homemade sweet at the end of the
game just to keep everybody in good humour…
Such type of people have gone on
to be achievers in their realm... because of their passion and commitment they
have achieved greatness in life but however are unable to retain it as they get
miffed and offended at the slightest of provocation/offence
6.
“On
the sly” captain/player:
This type of people would never Donne
the mantle of captainship but would wait for the right opportunity to make
gains. So when a ball would go missing, they would notice where it went but
would make it appear as if they are clueless and mislead others who may be
looking for it. Once the game is over and everybody goes home, such creatures
return with a torchlight and retrieve the ball to be used for in house play.
The next day they will be the one who will be seen missing from the cricketing
scene.
Such people have not done a whole
good to their life - always on the lookout and waiting for the jackpot moment
when they can make a fast buck which never comes about.
