THERE is something about the heat of May, which demands the very best of sporting stars everywhere. May is often the decisive month for many sports across the world. In cricket, the IPL reaches its climax. In soccer, the national club leagues are decided, and the Champions of Europe are crowned. In the NBA, the playoffs are in full slam dunking swing. In tennis, players are struggling to develop their feet of clay, and so on…
The month of heat is, as they say, a whole different ball game.
Teams stumble. Players who were brilliant otherwise, suddenly find themselves stiffening. Managers lose the plot. Fans turn on their favorite Gods. Chaos and mayhem conspire, to do interesting things to the mind. It is certainly not a time for the faint hearted.
But within these crunch moments, there lurk invaluable lessons. Insights about what happens, when the pressure switch is flicked on. These present interesting parallels, for the consideration of the white collar world. Because even if they are usually in the confines of an air conditioned room; they are sweating as profusely, to score their own organizational goals.
The battle before the war
The brilliant military strategist, Sun Tzu remarked in The Art of War, that ‘every battle is won, before it is fought’. And this wisdom begins to shine through in May.
Modern day mega contests on the sporting fields; are first conducted in the arena of the press conference these days. One finds managers and players, saying carefully weighed, though seemingly spontaneous words, meant to incite and intimidate the opposition. The motive being to gain some kind of leverage psychologically, before the actual match begins. The long drawn out fiasco between Barcelona and Real Madrid, before their Champions League semi final clash, last week, is just one example of this at work. Expect a lot more.
To be fair, generals from the time of Alexander and Genghis Khan have understood the advantage of striking mental blows, long before landing any physical ones.
These days, even organizations are honing their skills in this domain. They have begun using the media to build anticipation, preempt competitive moves or seed certain perceptions. The quest to influence the mind has become many a times, the very first milestone in the journey to success.
The art of winning ugly
The old tennis pro Brad Gilbert had authored a book called Winning Ugly. And this is never truer, than in the month of May.
It is here that winning assumes paramount importance. And teams learn to eschew flair for resolve. In the NBA, as the playoffs get tighter, one hears voices from Kobe Bryant to LeBron James, Phil Jackson to Doc Rivers, talking of the value of defense. For in an ultra competitive cauldron, it is the stodgy and dour qualities which can be summoned upon, that often determine, whether a team either emerges triumphant or tastes defeat.
Companies, which have become good at innovation, likewise understand that good business is often about taking the harder, less fashionable decisions. Execution – considered less glamorous by most management consultants – often is the critical differentiator between a company that pioneers relentlessly, and one that stops at the white board of the conference room.
The art of doing the less appealing things effectively; is a strategic advantage that serves companies well in the corporate world.
The rise of newer stars
It is only under the most severe pressure that diamonds come into existence. There is something about pressure moments, which bring true quality to the surface in sport as well.
The IPL has seen the birth of new cricketing stars that have shone through, in such defining moments. Manish Pandey made his name, by becoming the first Indian to score a century at the IPL, during a crunch match. Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan and R. Ashwin really came into the reckoning for the Indian cricket team, after telling performances at key times for their franchise teams. And this year has already thrown up Paul Valthaty.
In the business world, organizations will often find that it is these moments of high pressure, which really sift the leaders from the managers. True talent often rises to the occasion in these trying times. As such these moments, actually present the management with a blessing, albeit a very high pressure one.
The unexpected ploy
It is when the chips are down, and the contest seems to be slipping out of one’s grasp, that a lateral tactic really pays rich dividends.
While there are many cases of this bearing fruit, perhaps the most intriguing one played out at the French Open in 1989. Down match point against the world number one, and tournament favorite Ivan Lendl, the young Michael Chang, served underarm. The move completely took Lendl by surprise. Chang won that point and recovered gloriously to clinch the match, en route to winning his first and only grand slam tournament.
Often it is the company which hits the brick wall, and thus is forced to try something different that lives to resurrect another tale.
Intel was at the crossroads, when they under Andy Grove, decided to shift corporate focus from memory chips to microprocessors. In a landmark creative strategy, they decided to make an essentially invisible component, the most visible one, in the computer purchase decision process.
Sometimes difficult situations serve as the ideal forum for unexpected ideas to emerge.
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Eventually May holds the promise of pulsating sporting action. Younger heroes will emerge, and older ones might ride into the sunset. A new freshness might sweep a sport that has been a monopoly. Barriers might be broken and the playing field might just completely change.
In all that, there are relevant inspirations for the corporate world. There are ideas to be borrowed and success stories to be dissected.
It’s the best time to watch sport!
