Lessons from the Indian Premier League

The Indian Premier League has been a success. There is absolutely no doubt about that. The stadiums have by and large been filled to capacity, and the TRP ratings of channels have gone up a notch or two, with even other prime time shows in India suffering due to the live telecast of IPL games. Even grudging viewers such as yours truly have been seduced by it and have stayed up till wee hours in the morning to watch the final game between the Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai Super Kings.

This however, is not an exercise in showcasing the financial and media success of Lalit Modi's baby. The IPL threw up some interesting insights on teams, leadership and success. This is what I'd like to explore further.

No one who watched the final game of the IPL could have missed the cool demaneour of MS Dhoni. This is one of Dhoni's most striking qualities as a captain - his calm under pressure. The man himself claims that he hides his emotions in order to relax his bowlers and fielders. The nonchalance probably does help in relaxing everyone on the field and allowing them to put up their best effort. He even managed to flash a bright smile when the equation came down to 1 run required to win off the last ball of the innings. Here was a man who was not about to let the situation get the better of him. He was bent on keeping himself and his team calm and focussed.

Contrast this to the approach of the victorious captain - Shane Warne. Before the semi-finals and finals Warne was seen talking to each and every player on the team. While what he said is not known, it was clear enough that he was trying to ensure that every individual on the team was geared up and ready to go for the game. Even in the final moments of the tense final, Warne was seen talking in earnest to Ravindra Jadeja and Sohail Tanvir before their turn to bat came around.

Later it was revealed that even before the tournament had started, Warne had prepared a document called 'Whats My Role' for each and every member on the team detailing precisely the role of the individual with bat, ball and on the field. Warne clearly does not believe in auto-management. He ensured that every member in the team got his personal attention.

There were 2 major lessons I learnt:
1. Prepare every member in your team to the last detail
2. If things do not go according to plan, STAY COOL!

The Bangalore Royal Challengers and the Deccan Chargers finished the IPL at the bottom of the table. With the BRC one can argue that this was a team that was a misfit to this form of the game - with batsmen like Jaffer, Dravid and Kallis and bowlers like Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble - all suited to the slower pace of test cricket. But what of the Deccan Chargers? This team had batsmen like Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Shahid Afridi and Rohit Sharma. Even their bowling line up with RP Singh, Afridi and Pragyan Ojha seemed better suited to the helter skelter that is Twenty20.

I think the failure of these 2 teams highlighted what a huge role confidence and belief can play in the success of a team. BRC had it going against them right from the begining when the owner Vijay Mallya expressed his displeasure over the team selection. When your boss himself has no faith in you, its difficult to fight against other odds. Then came a few close losses for both the Royal Challengers and the Deccan Chargers. Add to this the scathing attacks on the teams by the media and you had two teams who were so low on confidence that towards the end of the league they resembled Zimbabwe or Bangladesh. Every victory was viewed as an 'upset'. The teams were hanging by straws.

How can such teams turn things around? A change in strategy? The Royal Challengers tried something new in almost every game they played - nothing worked. A change of leadership? Adam Gilchrist in for VVS Laxman made not an iota of difference for the Deccan Chargers.

Quite often its individual brilliance that can inspire a team out of the doldrums, as was the case with the Mumbai Indians. Shaun Pollock lead the way with inspired contributions with both bat and ball. When Sachin Tendulkar made his comeback to the side, the team was already on a roll and their confidence only increased. Sanath Jayasuriya then took centre stage and once again it was individual brilliance which caught the limelight.

While it came too late in the day, Saurav Ganguly also showed the way for the Kolkata Knight Riders. His heroics with bat and ball inspired the Knight Riders to some fine wins late in the league.

But individual brilliance alone is not enough. Once you have gained the confidence and faith of your teammates you need to use this to your advantage, squeezing more out of them. 'Heres what I can do - now lets see you do your bit' is the implicit message that should be delivered.

This is where Dhoni and Warne scored. 17 off Symond's over to win the game against Deccan Chargers elevated Warne to a whole new level in the eyes of his teammates. 65 off 35 balls only confirmed Dhoni's ever growing stature. The 2 captains leveraged on their own performances, cajolling, almost demanding bigger contributions from their teammates. With fortfified faith in their captains, the 2 teams produced some fantastic cricket to reach the finals.

Finally a word on team spirit. Its true that success breeds team spirit, but the converse is just as true. You only had to see Yusuf Pathan and Shane Watson embrace after the finals to know that this team had transcended boundaries and formed strong internal bonds during the course of the league. A team with strong team spirit always has an extra edge to its game.

A quick summary is in order:

1. Preparation
2. Inspiration
3. Leverage
4. Team-spirit ....and lastly...
5. Staying Calm

Your thoughts Mr Welch? Mr Drucker? Its true - sport is but a reflection of life. :)