Personality Traits (HEXACO) - Rahul Dravid (The Wall)

In the recent T20 world cup, we saw some devastating defeats of Team India by Pakistan and New Zealand. Prior to this event, Virat Kohli announced that he will step down from the captaincy of T20I. The most unpredictable news came yesterday when BCCI welcomed Rahul Dravid as the Head Coach of India’s senior men team. Previously, Dravid became India’s U19 coach in 2015 where the team achieved historic triumph by winning 2018 ICC World Cup U19. Well the million dollar question is Can Dravid repeat the same with the men’s senior team? Let’s see what my analysis (HEXACO) on Dravid’s leadership tell based on his personality.

HEXACO stands for Humility-Honesty (H), Emotionality (E), Extraversion (X), Agreeableness (A), Conscientiousness (C) and Openness to Experience (O). The HEXACO model was developed, by Ashton and Lee, through similar methods as other trait taxonomies and builds on the work of Costa and McCrae and Goldberg, the big five personality model (OCEAN).

1)?????Humility-Honesty:

This factor measures the ethical behavior and acts inversely to the Dark Triads (Psychopathy, Machiavellianism and Narcissism). Rahul appears to be High on Humility. There have been many occasions of Dravid’s humility but this one is right there at the top. Taking the time out from his schedule, Dravid chatted with a fan (Ashok Dhoke) terminally ill with blood cancer, over Skype, and apologized for not being able to make it in person.

Evidence: https://www.quora.com/How-is-Rahul-Dravid-off-the-field/answers/2601476?srid=urLm8

2)?????Emotionality:

Emotionality is a measure of tendency to show empathy, attachment and emotional stability which also refers to a person's ability to remain stable and balanced. This trait is opposite to Neuroticism in Big 5 model. Dravid is famously known as The Wall of Indian Cricket, which personifies stability, calmness and resistance. John Wright once said, “He is regarded by the Australians as one of the mentally toughest players they have come up against. He is a tough task competitor.” No doubt he is one the most dependable batsman in world cricket. Thus, Rahul stands High on Emotionality.

3)?????Extraversion:

It is a state of primarily obtaining gratification from outside oneself. Dravid is a classical batsman who is not very social. He prefers to concentrate on a single activity at a time and like to observe situations before they participate, therefore, mostly interested in one’s own mental self. Rahul is a perfect example of ISTJ, Introversion (I), Sensing (S), Thinking (T), Judgment (J), personality on MBTI. These personalities are also known as Logisticians. During his commentary, one can notice, Rahul being highly analytical before putting his views. Rahul is not very social like other cricketors. Recently when his absence on social media was questioned, he said, “There’s no particular reason behind why I am not on social media but that I don’t see any reason why I need to be active”. These findings directs towards a Low on Extraversion.

4)?????Agreeableness:

People who exhibit high agreeableness will show signs of trust, kindness, and affection. Rahul is a person who goes by the book and believes that things work best with clearly defined rules. In Multan test, many felt Dravid shouldn’t have ended the Indian innings at 675/5 with Tendulkar unbeaten on 194. Tendulkar too felt the same. For Dravid, it was a decision to be made for a team not an individual. As a captain, he led from the front and sticks to plan and does not easily agree to changes. He is Medium on Agreeableness.

5)?????Conscientiousness:

It is a trait that includes high levels of thoughtfulness, good impulse control, and goal-directed behavior. Dravid appears to be organized, structured and someone with good conduct. He is role model to many. He is even liked by the Opponent teams. Steve Waugh, former Australian Captain tells us that “Rahul is the kind of person who young cricketers can look up to; not only because of his success but also because of the way he conducts himself.” He stays mindful and has team-before-self attitude. He is highly result driven and played for winning the game for country. Dravid is rated High on Conscientiousness.

6)?????Openness to Experience:

It is a characteristic defined by someone with an eagerness to learn and to experience new things. Dravid is a traditional and conventional player. He is a simple, ground to earth sportsperson. To stay tough as a fortress, one needs to stick to basics when dozen canons are firing. Shoib Akhtar once said “Even though Sachin is great, I have always found Rahul?more solid and hard to get out. He has a solid defense and plays less shots than others. When a batsman plays less shots then it is tough to get him as he makes less mistakes.” Looking at Dravid’s playing by the book habit, he is rated Low on Openness to Experience.

In the current Indian team, captains of various IPL teams play together. There is not a single doubt on any of their abilities. BCCI has worked wonderfully in creating a pipeline of skillful players. So, what is missing? Well, the wolf who lived for the pack was missing.

Where IPL has helped BCCI in finding new talent, it has somewhat diminished the focus from the mainstream cricket. Hopefully, Dravid - The Wall, would act as the missing piece in the puzzle. Through his determination, he will bring the team together to play as one for the nation.