Sourav Ganguly – A burning example of a born leader

“Leaders are made, not always born”

But there are some exceptions who really changed the world by their leadership ability and opened various different concepts of leadership, and among them one of the greatest captains of Indian cricket history ever, Sourav Ganguly is standing on the top. I am very delighted to share with you the leadership skills that Sourav Ganguly can teach you. Sourav Ganguly was the offside cricket God. His graceful cover drives were stunning. Also, who can forget his lofted sixes off the ground against spinners? I want to see those innings again and again.

When some of Team India's players were involved in match-fixing scandals, Sourav took over as captain. It was clearly not a good position for someone to lead the squad in these instances when morale was low. Sourav, on the other hand, was adamant about taking on this difficult position. India has accomplished a great deal under his leadership. 

During his captaincy, Sourav laid the groundwork for the new Team India. When he took over as captain, the team was in disarray due to match-fixing allegations. From there, he assembled a fantastic team that went on to dominate the game in the years that followed. He assisted the team in developing a fighting attitude in any situation. India began to win outside of India under his leadership. Sourav is a successful Test captain, having won 11 international matches. Even creating youth development in Indian cricket culture by introducing some of the rocking young stars in front of the real challenges and making them successful. His team-building abilities, impartiality, and bravery in supporting his team members through thick and thin won him over. Experts say he instilled a sense of aggression in the team. Ganguly quickly became the most successful captain in Indian cricket history.

"Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could" -Steve Jobs.

Introduction

 Sourav Ganguly is one of the most influential players in the history of Indian cricket. Affectionately known as Dada, he is the 39th President of BCCI and former Indian national team captain. Sourav Ganguly (48), the son of Chandidas and Nirupa Ganguly, was born on July 8, 1972 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India. His father was one of the city's wealthiest men, with a thriving print firm. His father died on February 21, 2013, at the age of 73, after a long illness. He began playing football because it is the most popular sport in Kolkata, but he was later drawn to cricket. His mother, on the other hand, was not enthusiastic about him pursuing sports as a vocation. Sourav Ganguly's elder brother, Snehasish Ganguly, who was already a successful player at the time, encouraged Ganguly to pursue his dream of becoming a cricketer.

He married his childhood friend Dona Ganguly in February 1997. The wedding proved to be another push for him as he developed into a fantastic ODI cricketer. He scored his first ODI tonne against Sri Lanka and subsequently won consecutive Man of the Match honors. He also played in the 1999 World Cup, hitting 183 against Sri Lanka. Sourav Ganguly set a new ODI record with this performance. Sana Ganguly, the couple's daughter, was born in November 2001.

He made his international debut against the West Indies in 1992. It was not an ideal start, as he only managed three runs batting at No. 6 in an ODI at Brisbane's Gabba. He was dropped right away because he was regarded to be "arrogant" and his attitude towards the game was widely questioned. It was also reported that Sourav Ganguly declined to bring refreshments for his colleagues, claiming that it was not his responsibility, which he later refuted. As a result, he was kicked off the team, but his quality, talents and effective hard works brought him back again in 1996 like a king. He often was called as Comeback king. Following a match-fixing scandal involving some of the team's players in 2000. Sourav Ganguly has been selected Indian Cricket Team Captain. Tendulkar stepped resigned from the post due to health reasons, and Sourav Ganguly was the vice-captain at the moment. His debut as captain went well, as he guided India to a five-match one-day series victory over South Africa. He also led the Indian team to the finals of the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy, where New Zealand overcame the Men in Blue. His leadership qualities and exceptional playing abilities made India proud again on the world cricket map.

“He's very competitive and knows what he wants. He has developed toughness in character and that is what is needed for Indian cricket. Ganguly has proved to be one of the best captains. He has now acquired great leadership qualities.” - Steve Waugh

Discussions

Cricket had a golden era throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. From Australia to Zimbabwe, every squad was loaded with match winners. That was the time when India was seriously dealing with match-fixing issues and there was no leadership to address them, and that is when Sourav Ganguly entered the picture. India was ranked eighth in the Test rankings, which are the heart of the cricket game. He was given the task of overhauling the Indian cricket squad. This is how he did it by implementing his various shades of leadership qualities and turning his born aggression and attitude into an effective and great outcome.

Visionary and strategic thinking

His captaincy demonstrates that he was an ace decision-maker with proper analysis, learning from problems on a daily basis. A leader should always have a long-term vision, and Sourav had one as well. He structured the team in such a way that it can win not just at home, but also on the road. He coached many young players who went on to become future stars of Indian cricket.

Likewise in our professional career, a leader should have a long-term vision, just like in business. In the long run. Once you've established that vision, you can take small steps on a regular basis to ensure that the company's vision is realized.

Picking up the right talent

Sourav was continually grooming and coaching the team's young players. He served as a guide for the newcomers. More young players came up with game-winning innings during his captaincy. He had the ability to recognize abilities and did his best to support them. He was an expert at acquiring the appropriate talent from the right sources at the right moment. For example, we can say Sehwag, Harbhajan, Yuvraj, Md. Kaif, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, and Ajit Agarkar to name a few. Everyone is a game changer in their own way. 

Democratic Leadership

Sourav used to follow a democratic leadership style. He made certain that his team members could express their views on any problem. Because Sourav was approachable to his team members, they did not hesitate to reach out to him to express their concerns. He always followed very basic but effective communication strategies like “Always appreciate publicly but pointing out faults privately”. The same may be said about the business world. When you, as a leader, ensure that your team members' thoughts are heard, they will feel more at ease in the team and a strong sense of trust will develop. Take action based on their suggestions. The major point I'm attempting to convey is that any choice should be made as a team. Don't make a decision on your own. Encourage your teammates to take part. Don't try to adopt an authoritarian leadership style that will make your team members uncomfortable and cause them to leave your organization.

Leading from the front

As a leader always try to set an example for him/her self-first and Ganguly is the best example of that. Sourav's batting performances in many situations are utilized to determine the tempo of the game. This motivated the other players to improve as well. When others see their leader doing his or her best to go above and beyond, it instantly motivates them to do the same.

 A leader should constantly take the initiative and lead from the front. Consider your team's leader to be passive and uninvolved. What impact will it have on the team? The outcome will be devastating. As a result, as a leader, you must ensure that your individual contributions to your firm are as valuable as your leadership talents.

Mentally tough

Sourav's batting performance decreased in 2005, and there were numerous conflicts between him and Greg Chappell, the Indian coach at the time. Sourav has eventually kicked off the team. During that time, he had a fantastic career. He could have easily retired. The Bengal Tiger, on the other hand, was not about to give up so simply. He was re-elected to the team following his outstanding domestic performances. He did play some fantastic knocks after regaining his place in the team. Instead of giving up and retiring, he regarded it as a challenge since he was psychologically tough. He desired to retire on his own terms, which he did in 2008. That is how one recovers from failures.

Focused and result oriented

Sourav believed in concentrating on what he could control. For example, when he was dropped from the team due to his lack of form, he focused on developing himself rather than worrying about when selectors will pick him back into the team. You have the ability to improve your skill sets. His strategic thinking enabled India to perform well on bouncy South African surfaces and finish second in the World Cup-2003, and 70% of the World Cup-2011 winning team members were shaped under his supervision. He was a result-oriented player on his own. During his cricketing career, he set a number of records.

Despite some management issues during his final days as captain, Dravid and Kumble demonstrated exceptional captaincy skills, and Dhoni followed in his footsteps, but in his own way of leadership. By the time Sourav stepped down as captain, India had climbed to second place, just behind Australia. Overall, Sourav laid a solid foundation for the Indian cricket team, which went on to win thanks to his long-term vision.

Conclusion

Throughout his term as Indian captain, Sourav constructed a great squad, and India reaped the benefits of having that team MS Dhoni's tenure as captain. Actually, he was able to accomplish all of this through his remarkable leadership talents while confronting enormous challenges along the way. Many people, particularly the younger generation, underestimated him by comparing him to Dhoni. But, deep down, if we examine the circumstances and how he rebuilt the team from adversity, many may believe that Sourav is the best Indian cricket captain ever.

“Winning like Sourav: Think & Succeed like Ganguly” -Abhirup Bhattacharya