It is all about being “Likeable”!
Damodar Padhi
Former Chief Learning Officer of Tata Consultancy Services, Advisor to individuals, teams and start-ups, Author of the self-help memoir 'The Scrapper's Way: Making It Big in an Unequal World'
“Go Messi Go!” - I would be chanting this right from the word go at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final tonight.
Why only me? Most (can’t say all) football fans around the world would do the same?
Why?
Simply because Messi is the most ‘likeable’ footballer. People pray for the success of the most likeable people.
Being likeable is not easy.
Consider this: Messi has performed a total of 9 assists in FIFA World Cup matches till date. None of the current crop of great players are even close. Only Brazil legend Pele sits at the top with 10 assists to his name. If Messi manages to help his teammates in scoring just two goals in the final tonight, he will claim the record.
It is not just about the record; Messi has plenty. The real question is – ‘record for what?’ Messi is one player who probably cares as much for the success of his team and teammates as for his own success. The recent memory of him passing on the ball to his teammate Julian Alvarez to score the third goal in the semifinal against Croatia (second goal for Alvarez in the match) still gives me goosebumps!
In case of a penalty shootout, it is more about the goal saver than the goal scorer. No one knows it better than Messi - the very reason he, and only he, ran to congratulate and give a hug to a crying Emiliano Martinez, the Argentina goalkeeper, who was shedding tears of happiness after the famous win against the Netherlands, when rest of the team members were running as a floc to congratulate the scorer who scored the winning goal.
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No personal feuds. No illicit affairs. Above all – no air. He has never let success go into his head. One with deep rooted values, he has continued to maintain close ties with his extended family and hometown. Has contributed his time and finances to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
That is Messi – “one among” the coveted list of the GOAT (Greatest Of All Times), but certainly “at the top” of the list of the most LOAT (Likeable Of All Times).
As the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final concludes, either Argentina or France would lift the cup. Let the team that plays the best football win. Most likely, either Mbappe or Messi, or maybe Alvarez would win the Golden Boot award. But no one would deserve the Golden Ball award better than Messi.
I will chant for Messi. Because he is the most likeable.
Do not underestimate the power of being likeable. Whether one gets a foot on the door or not would depend on ‘talent’, but how much support and goodwill one can extract from the ecosystem to be among the GOATs would largely depend on the attribute called ‘Likeability’.
Would you agree?
Director and Head Sales - Insurance - India Business |CII IWN |Blogger |Photographer
1 年Reading your posts after ages. And you've articulated it so well. He truly is one of the finest athletes this world has ever produced and deserves every bit of adulation he's got. What a match it was indeed!!! A befitting world cup final for the GOAT.
Principal Consultant, CoE. Leader, Turbo Machinery and Plant Engineering Services, Advanced Engineering Group (AEG), Engineering Consulting and Architecture Services (ENCAS), Infosys Ltd
1 年As usual, your views and analysis, always unique, make me read at least ten times. Likeable to be extrapolated to all facets of life.
Senior Consultant , Histopathologist GMC, UK Registered ( Specialist Register)
1 年This is such a profound write-up Damodar ??
VP Data Sciences and Analytics (GE Aviation)
1 年Loved reading it Damodar Padhi , so true and thanks for putting it down in simple and impactful way…
Relationship Manager @ Tata Consultancy Services | Relationship Management, Delivery Management
1 年Very nicely written!! LOAT ??