Rahul Dravid - The Great Wall Of India
Would you buy a brand that stands for simplicity? Looks like a lot of people would.
Read a post by Vikram Sathye and the comments to his post
The Simple Wall! Post by Vikram Sathye
Rahul Dravid, the current head coach of the Indian men's cricket team was seen recently at a book launch in Bangalore.
Masked up & sitting in the back row, hardly anyone noticed it was him until the author GR Vishwanath greeted him & invited him to sit in the front row.
Dravid not only signed autographs for all but also ensured that GR Vishwanath remains the main centre of attention.
Simplicity has been an ever-present facet of Dravid's nature and is surely one of the reasons why he is respected all around the world.
Simplicity - an important virtue to have but carrying it in the corporate world is probably the toughest.
Thoughts?
I went through all the 68 comments for Vikram's post. I have listed them here.
1. Gentleman truly
2. True true legend of Indian sport .. huge respect
3. Couldn't agree more. Great achievement is manifested in humility. ??
4. Very Humble
5. Simple and Frugal lifestyle remains a good belief for me. Great post, Vikram
6. Humility
7. Real Icon
8. No one hates him (zero Haters)
9. Definitely one of the finest batsmen ever to play cricket, with 0 haters around the world.
10. Simplicity can never really go out of fashion.
11. Rahul Dravid is the man we all want/aspire to be
12. Very true. A great ambassador
13. The #Simplest & the #Toughest wall we've ever seen. He's indeed an inspiration for #youths.
14. I love the story and the backdrop of books stacked up. Simplicity is precious and books are precious.
15. The #Simplest & the #Toughest wall we've ever seen. He's indeed an inspiration for #youths.
16. He is a thorough gentleman.
17. As a human being, worth role modelling! Gem of a person!
18. Yes he was a great player in our days. One of the technically correct batsmen till date. A handsome guy, who is popular enough like a rockstar internationally.
19. Undoubtedly a role model!!!
20. The legend in the form of Rahul Dravid, has a style of leadership that is so profound, yet gets very little recognition #Respect. Thanks Vikram Sathaye for bringing this to the forefront!
21. Both GR Vishwanath and Rahul Dravid were true cricketer, played for the country, not for records. Fortunate to meet both while they are active cricketers. Jai Hind
22. Legend for a reason! ??
23. Staying true to 'who you are'. That's what I see in the picture. Simplicity is a term 'others' attribute to this behaviour. When you are true to who you are and you find yourself extremely comfortable being that, would others' opinions matter? Thoughts, please.
24. Strive for Enrichment is what RD has always told us ..!!!
25. They do not create like him anymore
26. A very rare attitude to find ... Simplicity. But in case, one finds someone with simplicity, better stick with them..
27. They don’t make them like him….anymore! Simplicity (Class) personified!
28. True Gentleman!??????
29. Rare leaders these ! ????????
30. A true gentleman. An inspiration to all, following his hard work, humility and resilience. A nonpareil personality.
31. Legend for a reason
32. Yes...?? But, the bitter truth is simple and "real" down to earth nature is rarely seen...
33. "the wall" is the nickname aptly bestowed on him as he has scaled such huge walls no one can match up to. Role model for past, current and future generations to emulate.
34. Yes, virtues like simplicity, humility, listening etc are rare in the world of the rat race.
35. He was no less aggressive for his passion but he chose to control and perseverance to exhibit it. That's the mark of this great personality On & Off the field. Respect and strength to him.
36. He was no less aggressive for his passion but he chose to control and perseverance to exhibit it. That's the mark of this great personality On & Off the field. Respect and strength to him.
37. Rahul Dravid is an embodiment of humility and hard work which took him to dizzy heights then and now
38. Fully agree with this. We all try in our own way but staying true to one's self is equally important ??
39. No disrespect to other greats, but if I ever want my Son to be someone like or to even emulate someone it has to be Rahul Dravid.
40. That is the real greatness of such persons.
41. Back in 2004 I was coming back to Delhi from Bangalore and Dravid sat next to me reading Times at the airport both of us waiting for an Indian Airlines flight, he was so humble and no air / attitude thrown by him.
42. Simplicity, you find in the corporate world but not appreciated as a great culture. The other styles of being aggressive, flamboyant extrovert and loudmouth are connected with being successful in corporate culture.
43. Mentor... ??
44. He is a true icon ??
45. There’s a saying “The tree with the most fruit stays grounded” and he’s a example of one such personality. There are many successful and wealthy people around everyone of us, but not all of them are gentlemen in truest essence because many lack the quality of being grounded. ??
46. True gentleman of the game and off the game!
47. True legend
48. Humble.
49. The true gentleman Rahul Dravid!
50. Simplicity because players like him devoted time to game. Not being 'influencers' on social media!
51. Absolutely in sync with you Vikram Sathaye … humility is his USP…and there is not an iota of change in his grace over the years!!! I remember meeting him for a very short while at the Pride Hotel in Nagpur he was the simplest and the most gracious of them all and the other one ?? who really floored us was Zaheer khan!!! But Dravid justifies his title - Truly - the wall!!!!
52. Hard to find Gentlemen like him
53. Rahul Dravid in my opinion is India’s best batsman of test cricket of all times. The man’s no non-sense gritty determination is legendary. Has he tried his skills in the corporate world he would have been equally successful? One of the finest CEOs of Corporate India. Before taking charge of the India cricket team as the head coach he helped the India colt win the world cup
54. Incredible Dravid!
55. The only sportsperson that I have deep respect for & I think the most shocking thing he has ever done in his life is calling himself “Indiranagar ka Gunda”.Still can’t get over that.
56. High respect
57. Respect
58. The WALL.. The gentleman.. The Rahul Dravid !
59. Simplicity
60. It's like an oxymoron that although it's the word SIMPLICITY but inculcating it is one of the TOUGHEST tasks.
61. Undoubtedly he won many hearts in cricket era with his simplicity
62. Simplicity and humility make you connect to the person. Your position and designation will only connect to the professional and also till the time you are in that position. The real asset is connecting with people.
63. Simplicity is one of the hallmarks of a great leader. That is the reason Rahul Dravid is well respected
64. “They broke the mould when they made Rahul Dravid”.- Krishna Kumar N V
65. Simplicity often tends to be looked at as a culture misfit or weakness in a highly flamboyant work culture I guess. WTD!!
66. I think more than simplicity, Dravid is genuine and authentic. He is being himself. Being simple is just the way he is.
I am just making this comment because sometimes, in the corporate world, people try to follow these observations as prescriptions but cannot carry it off because they are not true to themselves.
67. Strength from being humble, and confidence from being self-assured - for me, that's how I have known RD for a long time!
68. True that. He is a role model of an ideal human being I think :-)
69. I have seen Rahul Dravid twice, once at Mumbai airport in Jet Airways lounge and once in London Metro. Always. Always approachable and simple. He will remain a role model for a Gentleman cricketer
In the world of marketing and brands, there is a practice called a brand audit. Users are asked, "What is the first thing that comes to your mind when we mention XYZ brand?" People often recall the brand's symbol/logo, colour of packaging etc. Then another question is asked "Imagine this brand is a human being. What do you think might be the way it might conduct itself in good times & bad?"
Not for a minute am I thinking of Rahul Dravid as a brand. Far from it. But to see the consistent way in which 69 people have described him speaks a lot for the man's character.
It struck a chord.