Leadership Workshop - Hyderabad Cricket Academy of Excellence

This was something I had always wanted to do before I ended my term so we got a few leaders and potential leaders from the senior, under 23 and under 19 groups and conducted a 2-hour workshop on leadership. Vijay Mohan Raj, Director of the HCAE, organised the talk and we wee helped by Krhsna Reddy and Vijay (video) and Lakshman (admn). The workshop started at 9. Participants were Rahul Singh, CV Milind, Nitesh Kannala, Nitish Reddy, Himateja, Mayank Gupta, Aman Rao, Nitin Sai Yadav, Aaaron George, Wafi Kachi and Alankrit Rapole. Vijay sat through the entire time and contributed by bringing in valuable insights and sharing some wonderful examples from the time he spent in the Bombay dressing room and the Hyderabad dressing room where he was part of Ranji Trophy winning titles from both sides.
We started the workshop at 9 sharp on January 10, 2025, with the first rule - be early - people follow your actions. If you as the leader come late the rest will also come late. The rule - you're on time if you come 10 minutes early, late if you'r eon time and go home if you are late! (a famous coach said that, can' remember his name). Quickly introduced them to the basic ideas - that leadership is important and can make more than 50% difference to the result and that leadership is not an inborn quality and can be learned like anything else with good guidance, a learning mindset and effort. Also that leaders are not about position, its about an attitude and anyone can make a difference by adopting these ideas.

Then we quickly moved into the what leadership is about - 1) its about results (no excuses, find a way to get results) 2) about responsibility (you are responsible so own up and don't blame others) and 3) its about showing the way (lead from the front)

Then we saw the Simon Sinek TED talk 'Start with Why' and I asked them to make notes. They got the idea of the golden circle, the law of diffusion of innovation - how ideas spread gradually from the innovators (2.5%), early adopters (13.5 %), early majority (34%), late majority (34%) and laggards (16%).

I gave them handouts which asked questions about the leadership black box of mine which keeps it in the four areas that the leader should check himself on - The Why (purpose, vision), How (values, processes), What (goals, strategies, tactics) and who (people management skills). We covered them one by one.

WHY – COMMON PURPOSE, VISION
A clearly stated common purpose binds everyone together and makes them look in one direction and makes their goal clear.
A big vision needs big efforts that can only be done collectively.
Show them the IMAGE of what’s possible, how it feels to achieve that.
Make the vision seem achievable with your belief in it
Your vision should demand high standards

Leaders check – Communicate the common purpose to the team, Enrol them by showing an image that challenges them, have a vision that demands high standards

HOW – VALUES/PROCESS

VALUES - What the team values most, shown in behaviors

Team work – support one another, be like a FIST, closely bonded
Team first – 100% for the team
Never give up – fight till the end
Open communication - sharing knowledge, feedback

PROCESS – Achieving high standards of excellence

1) Preparation to high standards

- Fitness
Skills (fielding, batting, bowling)
Mental
Emotional

2) Execution

3) Gap correction

Leader's check – are you communicating what you value and are you exhibiting the same through consistent behaviors and do you have clear processes in place to achieve high standards

WHAT - What are we contributing

GOALS – for the season, tournament, match
Team goal

Individual goals

ROLES – Roles are about expectations. What does the team expect from each member, set high standards and seek minimum guarantees. Check individual’s own expectations from themselves (in line with the team expectations) – and help them reach those.

STRATEGIES/TACTICS

- Know strengths, use them fully
Pressure batsmen, deny runs, do what the batsmen least like, get into their minds
Grind them to the floor, no mercy, don’t pity

Leader's check - Get everyone to commit their goals, convey what is expected out of them (roles) and be clear about your strategies and tactics

WHO – People Skills

• Your job - Bringing out the best in each member
• Find out what makes each one tick – spend time with them
• To build trust - Focus on the positive, praise, cannot motivate if you cannot praise convincingly
• Everyone is equal, valuable – get 10% more from each, focus on fringe players who are unsure
• Maintain good dressing room atmosphere (harmonious, friendly, behaviors that reflect values) – to do that spend time together, do activities as a group, play, travel, eat, practice, more time you spend together as a group the better the atmosphere of trust
• Make players anxieties bearable by talking, listening
• Believe in them – grow them into bigger people
• Set high standards and help them achieve by mentoring, motivating
• Grow through constant feedback
• Remember - People follow actions not words
• Tell them what you want, let them figure out the how

Leader's check - When you buy their trust, make them feel equal and enroll them into the cause, you will see all the fringe players contributing more than expected, you are winning matches from losing positions etc - that is the sign of a good dressing room atmosphere, of a team that is together

To earn respect

• First, deliver your role through performances of high standards
• Build trust
• Be honest
• Show integrity through thought, words and actions
• Be concerned about everyone
• Be fair and just, don’t have favorites
• Know your job
• Communicate
• Believe in each player, trust them
• Be honest, own up mistakes
• Support
• Take blame, share credit
• Always be hopeful, open, optimistic