Monday, November 19, 2012

What type of Captain are you?


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.

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