The Pleasure of Pain

You Spend a whole lifetime agonizing, you spend a day - feels like a lifetime.

an evening spent in breathless anxiety for just a moment and when that comes - you try to find a way out of it.

a whole conversation spent in trying to get to a point and when the opportunity presents itself - you feign absolute and total ignorance.

How can there be two ways about it - to find so many question when you're out looking for answers ; its got to be LOVE.
And why, do you think, one chooses to write about it.
One does because there's just one way around love, close your eyes and JUMP. must be a reason why the say " he must be FALLING in love "

So what's next for the fallen one ? Rhyme and whine, time and shine, for those of us on who this suffering befalls there's little by way of hope, there's just a lingering belief that love won't pass them by.

And in all this, ask yourself, will you trade in a moment of this agony for a lifetime without it,
will you rather spend a lifetime not knowing what a day feels like or spend a day which stays a lifetime,
will you have many conversations that will not have your attention or will you have that one conversation which will make you a new man.

love, for all those who haven't yet figured it out yet, really does make the world go round, doesn't necessarily make sense, in that way, its similar to everything important, everything that stays long after memories fade, none of them make SENSE.

Coming to the Party

It was a day of intense euphoria, it was a day of quiet adieu…. It was a day for the victorious, it was a day for a new age….
It was a day the most outspoken leader of a group of fearless men led them to victory one last time….and it was a day when the new leader let his legendary predecessor take in the last few moments of glory not just as a tribute but also by means of saying “thanks”.

Let’s take a moment to try and understand what truly were the leadership lessons to be had from the now legendary Nagpur test.

You win when you’re mental framework is one of a winner.
A defensive team reacts to a run rate of 4 with a run rate of 2.5 and by the time the day’s over, they are short by a 100 runs. Play like the way you were built to play the game, being conservative and being hesitant are not the same, and they don’t produce the same results.
Not all battles need to be won, some battles need to be fought and strategically retreat so you live to fight another day.
If the other team’s batsmen are playing well then its better to get defensive, the game is long and you’ve got enough time, they will make a mistake. If the team is playing to win, then they will win some sessions, you will win the match.
If a weakness is visible, don’t delay the inevitable
If you’ve taken 6 wickets in the previous session, don’t call in part time bowlers to avoid penalties, you get the other 4 in the next hour, you won’t need the extra time.
Intelligence is God Given but Wisdom comes from experience.
When the pitch isn’t playing well, when sessions have to be won, wisdom tells you how to play, it tells you that in some sessions you attack and in some sessions you don’t lose wickets, it tells you that The Fab Four are called so because between them they’ve won more matches for India then most players play in their careers. Use their wisdom, to play, to attack, to wait for the right time. They will rarely not live up to your wants.
Become an example – people will remember you for it and give you your due when you need to be given it.
You were a legendary captain, you changed the way the team plays its cricket, you’ve made the team believe in itself, today they stand up taller when they see difficult opponents. And when its your last day on the field, the greenhorn taking over hands over the rein to your very capable hands to lead them to a memorable victory.
Never take your eyes of the ball ---- quite literally
The world is moving at its own impetus. Every time you go wrong, you end up chasing your tail (as Ricky Ponting put it). Get it right the first time. A catch taken is money in the bank. There is no other way to win.



Finally,

Decide what legacy you would like to leave behind, people retire, their legend lives on…….

You could say Monkeygate , you could say indiscipline, you could say passion, you could all of them – or you could say, what is it that people will remember you by. Will they remember you because you used “words” or “went Fishing” or would they see you and talk about you as a leader who turned a quite, docile bunch of men to the best fighting force…..you choose….

I believe that the game in Nagpur taught us many lessons as managers, as leaders. I’ve highlighted some of them which I felt were clear to me, I know you would’ve your thoughts. I know that there are other learnings that you would want to share. I know there are opposing view points which would be highlighted, I look forward to all of them.

Those not interested in the game of cricket, I invite you to a game of thought, do share….