You either die as a hero…
One of the most admired and successful cricketers in India, MS Dhoni, is struggling much like a old lion in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup. He hasn’t had a very memorable cup so far, knowing that this might be his last outing. Being a great fan of the man and his character, it saddens me immensely watching him defend himself, on and off the field. But his present predicament is nonetheless incisive on several accounts. The one which I am interested in is planning your exit.
Reminds me of another quote from my favorite movie, The Dark Knight, “ You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain”. If you haven’t watched the movie, it might be worth your time, for several life lessons beam out of this Nolan’s masterpiece.
Applied to the field of leadership, exit remains one of the most thorny issues. If not planned well, it can leave an organization or team paralyzed, or, worst still, implode.
Dhoni handed over the Test Cricket captaincy to Kohli in December 2014, focusing exclusively on shorter versions of the game, before passing on that baton to Kohli in January 2017. Dhoni’s presence on the field did offer Kohli more nerves and the team a greater stability, as admitted by Kohli, but Captain Cool became less of a ‘player’ that he was. The power-hitting, counter-intuitive judgement, tactical maneuvering, temperament, and an insight into his fellow mates, which Dhoni was famous for, was best a thing of the past, and the contrast is evident, especially in the ongoing tournament.
Would it be nice to retire while a lot of fuel is still left in you? When things are going pretty well in your absence? When your best is well and truly behind you?
In competitive sports, where one player is in at the cost of other, it matters tremendously. So does in business, where lost pride often becomes more important than lost market share!
My heart pains to see Dhoni struggling today, but offers a sobering reminder of the life of a hero, and why it’s important to know your limits and accept them, at times. Hopefully we all make our calls wisely.