Sunil Pandey’s Post

Transcript

I'll tell you a story here and, and, and, and, and for me that was very important part of leadership. And you and I spoke to you about man management. There was Sehwag batting with me in the middle and we were chasing that night 320 where I took my shirt off and I was very upset at lunch because England got 300 three, 25. And in those days this was about 2002. You, you very rarely chased 325. It's not like modern day cricket where you just keep hitting in the game has changed a lot. So I was walking down this long room at Lords and Sehwag was whistling behind me. He had his hair, he was that sort of a person. He was whistling behind me. So I turned up to me and and in Hindi I abused him and said Ektu punches banana de, you think it's a joke? So he walks past me and said skip, we're going to win this. I said let's see. So we went. We started very well, both of us. And after 7 overs, we were about $74. I was betting on 40 odd. And Seward was also batting. So Ronnie Irani, and many of you would have known in England, Ronnie Irani was bowling from this end. And I went up to Viru and said, you know, we've got a good start. I think we can get this total but don't get out. You know, we've played the harder bowlers, there's a weaker bowler coming in. Let's just keep. Taking 6-7 runs and over because that's what we need. He said yeah, yeah, fine, no problem. So Ronnie runs up from this end. He hits the first ball over middle for for four. So I was at the non striker end. I went up to him tapped and said good shot. So we got four runs and over just keep rotating. He said yes, yes, no problem. So so he goes back to his end. The next ball Ronnie pitches it up, he hits it over the top, over made on one bounce 4. So I can go up to him and said well played, well played, good shot, we got to eat so you can still take single. He said yes, no problem. Singles. The next ball, Ronnie Irani pitches up. He sits down and sweeps right from the middle stump. It would have hit his pad. He was gone. It went for four. I did not go up to him and he did not even look at me because he understood. So he turned his face to God and and battered again. The next ball he again hit him over covers for six. So there were 5 balls. He hit 5 boundaries. And the sixth ball. He took a single and as he was walking past me and said I've taken a single. And this is and this is happening. This is happening in the middle and, and he we, we got 22 runs that over he smashed him. He was so good. So I was furious at the other end because he did not listen to me. So I had two options either I woke up at the middle and and given him my Peace of Mind. So I took a couple of minutes to pull myself back and went up to him and I said keep concentrating. So I didn't tell him anything. He played an absolute blinder of a knock and we won. We finished the game, we won and. And as I sat in this dressing room upstairs, he was slightly far away from me and I was sitting here. I, I, I kept thinking to myself, I said, you know, today you won this game. Because the gentleman at the other end just took the opposition bowler on. And what were you thinking of telling him that? Be conservative? Take a single. Go to the next over, But there was one person who felt that he could hit him for 20 in that over and then turned the game around. And I say this to all of you here because sometimes as a leader when you work with different people. You have your own way of doing things, your own way of being successful, and you go and tell him, hey, this is the way I think is is right. Let's do it. And we'll win that way. But this is the other person who's more talented, who's more gifted, who who looks at things differently and probably has a better solution than you. And it was Sehwag that day. Who had a better solution than me? And and it. It taught me a lot. We did win the game. But it made me a better captain and I, and a couple of days later I met him at the breakfast. I said, you know, you know, why did you do this? So first question he asked me, are you angry on me? I said I was. I'm not anymore, he said. Good. I said I told you to play singles. Why did you hit him? He said. I felt that was the best thing to do at that particular moment. He's he said. That was the best thing I felt would wouldn't win India the game at that particular moment. And it was such a such an lesson for me on captaincy. I said I have a Sehwag who's different, I have a drawer who's different, I have a Ganguly who's different and I have a Harbhajan Singh who's different. They can't play the same way, so if I have to be successful, I have to understand that the wind cricket matches their way. And I have to let them do that. And I think a successful group, A successful entrepreneur along with your aims and goals and objectives of of wanting to be successful, don't forget this very simple line and. And solution in your journey is that everyone's different. And you cannot make everyone play the same way or everyone's work the same way as long as he delivers for you as a leader, you need to have that. Have that. Capability of adjustment. When you and I say that, you know, when you manage individuals, you have to manage them differently. Yeah. And you cannot expect every individual to behave, react, work and do things the same way. That is very important in leadership.