Think of Problems as Opportunities
Captain Russell’s challenge to Bhuvan to play the cricket match was taken up by Bhuvan as an opportunity to bring Happiness into the lives of the village folk.
Dream Big and Define the Goal: Bhuvan accepting the challenge to play the cricket match, as winning it meant three years of ‘Tax Free’ happiness. But he did not just dream ‘BIG’, he also chalked out a strategic plan of action to win the match. He then put it before the eyes of those, whose involvement was of importance in the match.
Put Community Before Self: Bhuvan did not dream for himself, he dreamt for the good of his village folk. Not once did this man of character put his self-interest before that of others. It was this that made him win the support of his villagers … after some initial resistance.
Be Determined in the Face of Opposition: Right from the beginning when the entire village opposed it, Bhuvan had taken up the challenge at a time when the rest of his team refused to play because he wanted to take an untouchable in the team. We face this situation many times in our organizations. Many a time, we give up and accept what we feel is perhaps a lesser decision. It is at times like these that we need to speak up - as long as we know we are fighting for the right issue, and not against an individual.
Make a Beginning: Bhuvan did not wait to start. He did not see around. He made a bat and a ball, got the kids interested and started. Only when we close the doors behind us, we will see the doors in front of us opening.
Building the Team: Building the team is like recruitment. One needs to select the right people and motivate them. He understands the pressures and the soft points of people, and uses this knowledge to make them part of his team. Each one of his team members is treated as special, as being different.
Allocating Roles: Bhuvan also assigns responsibilities to each member of the team. Just getting the people in the team is not good enough. They have to be told what the goal is. A team consists of different individuals. The objective is to make them all work together like a fist, like a team.
Support the Team Members: Bhuvan backed his team members to the hilt, even when they made mistakes. It is indeed important in any team that the captain backs the right person, at the right time, for the right job.
Passion as the Differentiator: Bhuvan and his team members played for the hopes & aspirations of their villagers. It was their passion that made all the difference. As leaders we all have to be careful of what we say and do, for the slightest sign of weakness can get magnified within the team.
Lead from the Front: Never Give Up… that was Bhuvan’s winning mantra. This attitude of his also enabled him to give his best shot even at the last ball and thus win the match. In sport, in business and in life…..always be alert, because You never know when opportunity may knock at your door.
Define the Enemy: To the British it was just a game but for Bhuvan it was fight against the British oppressors and a win against them would bring three years of ‘Tax Free’ life for his village folk. For Bhuvan the enemy was defined as bad, oppressors and merciless British overlords. This clear definition helped him to fight towards a specific goal. In any case, having a clearly defined enemy works as a rallying point for the team.
Overconfidence Destroys: Captain Russell and his team members thought that the match would be a cakewalk for them because they were a lot of good experienced players. It was here that they committed a mistake, they were overconfident and overlooked the ability of the enemy and this is what made them lose the match. Anyone can take a lesson from here, to never ‘Over Estimate’ oneself and ‘Under Estimate’ others.
Train & Practice: There are no shortcuts for physical and mental fitness. Bhuvan and his team strongly believed it and never compromised on it. There is only one mantra: To be well trained and have good enough practice…. which is Hard Work!
Make the Best of Limited Resources: Bhuvan made the best out of his limited resources. The tools for the game were all made by the village folk and were made out of the best that they could lay their hands on. As entrepreneurs we too must be innovative. The focus should be on getting the work done and not on the availability of resources.
Take the Unexpected in Your Side: One after the other all the good batsmen in Bhuvan’s team fell, but he did not lose heart, he played on his best shot and gave the team its victory. Similarly one should not look at defeats on the path as setbacks. One has to learn to take the unexpected in one’s stride and move on.
It’s About Team Spirit: No matter how well Bhuvan played in the match, nothing would have been possible if all the team members did not put in their efforts. Bhuvan showed how an average team filled with team spirit can overcome a group of talented, experienced but under-motivated individuals.
It’s About People: The film ‘Lagaan’ is all about how ordinary people can do extraordinary deeds. It’s about bringing out something from within us, something which has been hidden and long forgotten. Something whose existence, we didn’t know. As we go about our lives, we should remember that each one of us matters, that each one of us has it within us to make a difference.
Never Give Up: Even the last ball of the match was played with hope. Five runs to win out of one ball, but Bhuvan played it with great expectations as though it could win the match for the team and that is exactly what happened. He never gave up on his ability and this is what made him win the match. In sport, in life or in business always be alert and keep giving your best to situations, because you never know when opportunity strikes.
(The author is Asst Professor – MBA, VBIT. He can be contacted at madhurabn@gmail.com)
Captain Russell’s challenge to Bhuvan to play the cricket match was taken up by Bhuvan as an opportunity to bring Happiness into the lives of the village folk.
Dream Big and Define the Goal: Bhuvan accepting the challenge to play the cricket match, as winning it meant three years of ‘Tax Free’ happiness. But he did not just dream ‘BIG’, he also chalked out a strategic plan of action to win the match. He then put it before the eyes of those, whose involvement was of importance in the match.
Put Community Before Self: Bhuvan did not dream for himself, he dreamt for the good of his village folk. Not once did this man of character put his self-interest before that of others. It was this that made him win the support of his villagers … after some initial resistance.
Be Determined in the Face of Opposition: Right from the beginning when the entire village opposed it, Bhuvan had taken up the challenge at a time when the rest of his team refused to play because he wanted to take an untouchable in the team. We face this situation many times in our organizations. Many a time, we give up and accept what we feel is perhaps a lesser decision. It is at times like these that we need to speak up - as long as we know we are fighting for the right issue, and not against an individual.
Make a Beginning: Bhuvan did not wait to start. He did not see around. He made a bat and a ball, got the kids interested and started. Only when we close the doors behind us, we will see the doors in front of us opening.
Building the Team: Building the team is like recruitment. One needs to select the right people and motivate them. He understands the pressures and the soft points of people, and uses this knowledge to make them part of his team. Each one of his team members is treated as special, as being different.
Allocating Roles: Bhuvan also assigns responsibilities to each member of the team. Just getting the people in the team is not good enough. They have to be told what the goal is. A team consists of different individuals. The objective is to make them all work together like a fist, like a team.
Support the Team Members: Bhuvan backed his team members to the hilt, even when they made mistakes. It is indeed important in any team that the captain backs the right person, at the right time, for the right job.
Passion as the Differentiator: Bhuvan and his team members played for the hopes & aspirations of their villagers. It was their passion that made all the difference. As leaders we all have to be careful of what we say and do, for the slightest sign of weakness can get magnified within the team.
Lead from the Front: Never Give Up… that was Bhuvan’s winning mantra. This attitude of his also enabled him to give his best shot even at the last ball and thus win the match. In sport, in business and in life…..always be alert, because You never know when opportunity may knock at your door.
Define the Enemy: To the British it was just a game but for Bhuvan it was fight against the British oppressors and a win against them would bring three years of ‘Tax Free’ life for his village folk. For Bhuvan the enemy was defined as bad, oppressors and merciless British overlords. This clear definition helped him to fight towards a specific goal. In any case, having a clearly defined enemy works as a rallying point for the team.
Overconfidence Destroys: Captain Russell and his team members thought that the match would be a cakewalk for them because they were a lot of good experienced players. It was here that they committed a mistake, they were overconfident and overlooked the ability of the enemy and this is what made them lose the match. Anyone can take a lesson from here, to never ‘Over Estimate’ oneself and ‘Under Estimate’ others.
Train & Practice: There are no shortcuts for physical and mental fitness. Bhuvan and his team strongly believed it and never compromised on it. There is only one mantra: To be well trained and have good enough practice…. which is Hard Work!
Make the Best of Limited Resources: Bhuvan made the best out of his limited resources. The tools for the game were all made by the village folk and were made out of the best that they could lay their hands on. As entrepreneurs we too must be innovative. The focus should be on getting the work done and not on the availability of resources.
Take the Unexpected in Your Side: One after the other all the good batsmen in Bhuvan’s team fell, but he did not lose heart, he played on his best shot and gave the team its victory. Similarly one should not look at defeats on the path as setbacks. One has to learn to take the unexpected in one’s stride and move on.
It’s About Team Spirit: No matter how well Bhuvan played in the match, nothing would have been possible if all the team members did not put in their efforts. Bhuvan showed how an average team filled with team spirit can overcome a group of talented, experienced but under-motivated individuals.
It’s About People: The film ‘Lagaan’ is all about how ordinary people can do extraordinary deeds. It’s about bringing out something from within us, something which has been hidden and long forgotten. Something whose existence, we didn’t know. As we go about our lives, we should remember that each one of us matters, that each one of us has it within us to make a difference.
Never Give Up: Even the last ball of the match was played with hope. Five runs to win out of one ball, but Bhuvan played it with great expectations as though it could win the match for the team and that is exactly what happened. He never gave up on his ability and this is what made him win the match. In sport, in life or in business always be alert and keep giving your best to situations, because you never know when opportunity strikes.
(The author is Asst Professor – MBA, VBIT. He can be contacted at madhurabn@gmail.com)
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