Knowing Ashwin-Life Lessons

The Beauty of any article lies not only in the content that enthralls the reader, and keeps him glued to the subject matter right up to the last paragraph, last word and with this article I feel that the author Sid Monga has taken journalistic artistry to a whole new level. I wish to credit both Sid and Ashwin for having come together to delight us with this masterpiece. In these days of You-tube and Podcasts ruling the roost, This article has proved that good writing will still find audience lapping it up and this particular one is Brilliant.

My intention to put up this note is part in appreciation and part my own inferences from what has been discussed.

Adequate Preparation

Usually when a student goes in for an examination he is adequately prepared for what he is going to face. By Laying stress on Mental/Tactical aspects of the game of cricket, Ashwin has chosen to bring in an entirely new dimension. Clearly the game is not just about brute power but also about out-thinking your opponent. I recall the movie Karate Kid where constant practice leads the fighter to call the shots against the serpent, and not the other way around which is what we get lured into. Ashwin has seen videos after Videos just to understand the Batting style of Smith & Labuschagne . At One point it was very such a sight to watch Smith wanting to get off strike when Ashwin came on to bowl. The Fighter in Ashwin had scored a few brownie points over Smith by making him dance to his tunes. Six weeks of preparation time before a series going through tonnes of videos, watching some of them over and over again. Wow!!!! Is there a lesson for us in this? Do our Business Plans require such kind of method over madness, so that we can move on to a perfect execution.

Be Proactive in understanding a Problem-You will find a solution

Everything in his career seems to change the moment he adequately prepares for a situation. Take for example Injuries-part and parcel of a professional sportsman's career, but how many of them go through the entire motions of understanding the extent of the injury, putting the body into all sorts of uncomfortable situations so that the pain can be understood better. This is what Ashwin attempted-mind boggling in terms of understanding a problem and thereby finding a solution to the problem.

You need a Mentor-Staying Humble

Everyone needs a Mentor or a Trainer to look up to, especially when you are going through the lean patches. Ashwin did as well. You may not find all the answers to questions by yourself, there will be times when Answers will evade you and here is where a Mentor plays such an important role in unclouding your mind. Herein lies the greatness of a star like Ashwin- to not hesitate in seeking answers beyond his own self. Humility adds to a few inches of greatness while a Mentor aids you to scale new heights.

Keep The Fire Burning-Stay in The Fight

There will be times when the body begins to give up, when the mind says enough. Ashwin went through the same kind of despair but the tenacity and his love for the game of Cricket kept him away from giving up. People started talking but he refused to give in to external pressure instead started searching for answers within himself. The attitude to stay relevant and in the fight. Needs a lot of determination but if you want to corner glory that fire to fight is required till you are tired and drop and much beyond that

Treat Your Teammates as Superstars/Dont Complain, Look for Answers

Every human being is born with some unique talent and I strongly believe in it. Ashwin is a world class bowler, Virat Kohli is a world class batsman. A Leader is one who identifies inherent talent in each individual and knows how to tap into these talents. A Child feels bad when you compare him/her with another child. Comparison never works, but giving a pat for a job well done works wonders. Putting one person over another is harmful. It can demoralize and be crushing. Giving Individual proactive feedback works wonders like nothing else. Very valid point and how beautifully Ashwin chose to express how hurt he was, without the feeling of holding a grudge against any individual. Have we heard this before in our day to day lives how our Bosses denied us that much expected promotion and gave it to someone else. What have we done about it? Most of the times complained about the Boss but have we chosen to look for answers internally, Maybe not but Ashwin did and so he embraced success.

Never Fear Failures

Ashwin has said that in the article and I wish to quote him "I have never feared failure in my life. So to go out there on the ground and fail in terms of performance, it's fine. Like MS Dhoni always said, it is processes versus result. I believe I certainly have cracked the process. And I don't fear failing in front of millions or billions of people. It means nothing. At least I have got the [opportunity] to go out there and succeed or fail, which most people don't get." So express yourself, dont worry too much about failure, have processes in place and the result will take care of itself.

Control what is in your Hands and leave the rest to the Decision Maker

Clearly you cannot control what is beyond your powers. What you can control is your own performance for the world to see and judge. Yet another pearl from the article. Clearly Ashwin has worked hard on his processes and improvisations while choosing to ignore what is beyond his sphere of influence. Here I am reminded of a popular sloka from Bhagwad Gita and I quote "karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadachanama karma-phala-hetur bhurma te sango ’stv akarmani" Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: "You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty."(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47)

Be an Active Listener/Give Proactive Feedback/Engage in Dialogue

It pays to Listen. Be an active Listener even as a Leader. Finding Fault in your colleagues is not the right approach, instead shape his way by telling him what to do. Be that sounding board, hear, observe and give feedback on what is the way forward. Not having a dialogue is not going to help anyone. Instead provide documented reasons for certain actions that you wish to take.

Last but not the Least, Trust the Process to fetch Results

Work Hard, Do what is required to be done, sometimes hard work alone is not enough, hard work backed by smart work, adherence to processes, following them day in and day out is what is going to fetch you success, glory, positions of power or whatever you strive for in your professional lives. Believe me when I say that Ashwin is a World Champion, he has reached a stage in his life where milestones are not as important as Loving what he does, and striving for perfection in what he tries each, that is what is so inspiring and what I would call as Life Lessons.