@@@@@@ 10 Things Ceos Can Learn From Rahul Dravid @@@@@@

[Kakateyudu]

[left][color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]After a glorious career spanning 16 years, Rahul Dravid retired from Test cricket on Friday, March 9, 2012. Like everything else that he did on field, the prolific batsman’s complete exit from international cricket was well-thought of, dignified and devoid of excessive sentimentalism.[/font][/color][/left]

[left][color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]Dravid’s consistent performance - coupled with his impeccable professional and personal conduct – offers great lessons that can be applied across a variety of careers. Here’s what company CEOs can learn from Rahul Dravid[/font][/color][/left]



[b]1. Recognise your strengths and weaknesses[/b]
Rahul’s first stint in one-day cricket was tougher than the young debutant would have expected. He was soon labeled a ‘Test-specialist’. But Rahul was unperturbed. “I recognised… I needed to get better at my one-day game if I wanted to have a long and successful career. I knew that, by far, I was not a finished product early on. So, I needed to keep getting better.”

Businesses can do well to follow this approach. If things are not working out, it would be worthwhile to review the operations objectively, scrap ideas that don’t work and instead build on the company’s core areas of excellence.




[left][b]2. Train hard/ work on your craft[/b][/left]
[left][color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]If Dravid’s story was to be summarized in two words, it would probably read: “persistence pays”. A relentless hard worker, the former Indian captain diligently worked on his limitations without taking success for granted. He holds the record for highest number of catches in Tests. It’s not luck. “In chilly winters, he would ensure he took around 80-100 practice catches daily. I have never seen him missing those catching sessions,” off-spinner Harbhajan Singh remembers.[/font][/color][/left]

[left][color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]Earning an MBA degree could get you an entry into the best companies. Talent, hard work and some luck could get you to the top. But constantly updating your knowledge through professional training or certification courses could ensure you hold the competitive edge[/font][/color][/left]






[b]3.Reinvent[/b]
Mere knowledge is insufficient. It takes will power to try out new things by shedding one’s inhibitions. One of the greatest problems that companies face from staff and management is resistance to change. This requires an open mind, enormous team spirit and a commitment to adapt. Dravid batted in every slot for No.1 to No.7, kept wickets and bowled the occasional off-spin. It surely was not easy. Even in the away Test series in England last year; Dravid reinvented the way he approached batting as he played a more aggressive brand of cricket to stand tall amid the team’s ruins even as he was flexible when asked to open the batting, as he has done innumerable times in the past.
And those who adapt reap the yields. Bajaj Auto was synonymous with ‘scooters’ for many decades before it dared to enter the motorcycle market. Today, it is the country's second largest motorcycle manufacturer.





[left][color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][b]4. Believe in yourself[/b][/font][/color][/left]

[left][color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]“Some succeed because they are destined to, but Rahul Dravid succeeded because he was DETERMINED to,” tweeted former India opener Navjot Singh Sidhu. At a time when the genius of Tendulkar, aggression of Ganguly, elegance of Laxman were grabbing headlines, the defiance of Dravid earned him the sobriquet ‘The Wall’. Dravid’s self-belief came from his solid technique and willingness to focus on the positive side of things.[/font][/color][/left]

[left][color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]Optimism and self-belief is what pushed NR Narayan Murthy to quit his job, borrow from his wife’s savings and pump in the money into a company called Infosys. Infosys today, is an inspiration and an immensely-admired institution. Isn’t Dravid too?[/font][/color][/left]






[b]5. Keep track of the competition/ learn from peers[/b]
It takes courage to stand up and speak. But it also needs courage to sit down and listen. As The Guardian’s Rob Smyth observed, “Dravid was never too proud to seek advice.” In 2002, Dravid had no reservations in seeking batting tips from Michael Vaughan after the England batsman had blasted off India's spinners.
Company CEOs could benefit from keeping track of the competitors’ thinking patterns, discuss trends, share concerns and offer collective solutions. Profits are only a small part of business. Overall growth can only be ensured if the entire industry moves forward in a conducive business environment.




[b]6. Guard your credibility[/b]
It takes centuries to build a reputation. It takes minutes to destroy one. Just after Dravid became an overnight sensation after his legendary debut series in England, a cola advertisement had a humourous take on Dravid’s “Mr Serious” image. “Abhi naya hai…phir style maarega…! (He’s new to stardom; he’ll soon turn flamboyant!),” the female character predicted about Dravid.
But time proved her wrong. Till he retired 16 years later, Dravid guarded his upright moral values as fiercely as his off-stump. Rare, for an international sportstar.
CEOs carry an enormous corporate and social responsibility. Speech gaffes, corrupt deals, accounting frauds, political lobbying, environmental negligence can tarnish the credibility of companies. Top bosses should lead by example and ensure that the company remains untainted in the eyes of investors as well as customers.




[b]7. Look at the bigger picture[/b]
Dravid rarely ‘played’ an innings. He painstakingly ‘built’ it through toil and sweat. He was willing to bide his time, leave alone the good deliveries and patiently wait to punish the bad one. At times, he was willing to aggressively defend. He always had the larger interests of the team in mind. Once playing, he was neither afraid of the hardship, nor tempted by personal glory.
Some business decisions may bring in immediate criticism. But a good CEO bears it with stoic courage and focuses on the long-term returns, rather than the short-term costs. Good CEOs measure things not only in terms of profits, but of value.
The FMCG business may not be raking in immense profit to ITC, but the cigarette giant has now successfully forayed into this sector under the leadership of YC Deveshwar. According to Business Standard, the chairman is eyeing a Rs 10,000 crore business, even if FMCG’s current contribution to profit is negative.

[Kakateyudu]

[color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][left][b]8. Never be complacent/ rest on past laurels[/b][/left][/font][/color]
[color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][left]Despite the number of runs and centuries that Rahul Dravid scored in international cricket, his pre-match preparation had a routine that visualizing himself scoring runs on the pitch to be used for the forthcoming match. Great sportsmen don’t play for money or glory. They play for a feeling that is something beyond. Or something very basic – the reason that they picked up the sport in the very first place – a spiritual joy of excellence.[/left][/font][/color]
[color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][left]Great CEOs are driven by the urge to develop something ‘faster, higher, better or stronger’. It is perhaps this reason that Apple keeps launching a new device every few months, outperforming even its best product capabilities.[/left][/font][/color]


[color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][left][b]9. Deliver despite the odds[/b][/left][/font][/color]
[color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][left]Many would remember India’s victory over Australia in 2001 for Harbhajan’s hat trick and Laxman’s monumental double-century. Lesser number of people will remember Dravid’s 180 not out in the same match. And many less will remember that Dravid was unwell during the knock and was on antibiotics. The master batsman was also prone to dehydration throughout is career. He countered his physical limitations by pacing his innings through proper planning.[/left][/font][/color]
[color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][left]Product prices are heavily dependent upon costs of storage and logistics. Critical planning and back-up product delivery mechanisms ensure that goods are moved along supply chains even in times of natural disasters or other crises. A good CEO also needs to be resourceful.[/left][/font][/color]


[b]10. Know when to retire[/b]
Despite his fitness and hunger for runs, Dravid retired at the age of 39, leaving everyone shocked and wondering about the future of Indian cricket.

A review of Indian business houses (as in Indian politics) will reveal that many business patriarchs refuse to retire till almost the end of their lives. This leaves little room for the successor to groom himself (or herself) for the absolute top job, and also restricts the movement of fresher ideas in and out of the boardrooms.

While critics are gunning for Tendulkar to bid goodbye following his poor run with the bat, and speculations run rife about Laxman’s place in the team, Dravid has managed to achieve what many others haven’t.

Dravid may be out, but he ensured that he did not retire ‘hurt’.

[mba]

GP

[TheWall]

[TheWall]

mama...ee article original link ivvu mama

[edisav_edava]

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[charygaru]

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[bhargava_v]

[quote name='charygaru' timestamp='1332868405' post='1301565140']
nuvvu ayyina sadivava ekkado dorkagaane post eyyatame [img]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_cda1OvVtS20/THBZoLJ-OYI/AAAAAAAABe8/KNpoqlCWfBM/Ali-Scold.gif[/img]
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[AttiliSatti]

he is a true inspiration...

[TheWall]

[quote name='AttiliSatti' timestamp='1332874313' post='1301565591']
he is a true inspiration...
[/quote]

[Kakateyudu]