PERSONAL SPECIAL ....THINK LIKE A CAPTAIN

THINK LIKE A CAPTAIN





Do you want to make the best out of this new year? Take a few life lessons from Virat Kohli, who led the Indian cricket team to win three consecutive Test series last year

While many were struggling in some way or the other, Virat Kohli has gone from strength to strength during 2016.With two double centuries under his belt, the young batsman continues to rise in his professional life (and his personal life isn't too shoddy either). From the cricket field to the boardroom, there are a number of things you can learn from the young cricketer's outlook on life.

Turn it around

When Ravi Shastri arrived in England in August 2014, Kohli was not in his best form And he knew it. His confidence was shattered due to his performance and he felt bad about letting the team down. But that didn't stop him. Instead of wallowing in self-pity when something doesn't work out for you need to snap out of the pity party. While it may be tough to see the silver lining of a failed contract or a loss of an account, you need to turn negativity into something positive, for yourself and the sake of your employees. Focus on what went wrong but go beyond that; see how you could have improved your pitch or simply acknowledge the things that have gone right so far. You cannot always be winner, but you can learn to be a good loser.

Better yourself

In a recent article com menting about Kohli, Shast ri mentioned that Kohli was `short o f c o n f id e nc e' i n England but was always thinking about how to get better.

That's not just a sign of a good sportsman, but also of a good leader as well. Never be complacent i n your role. You should always push yourself, even when the going is good. Pushing yourself not only helps you learn a new skill for your work, it also reveals a lot about your personality -things you may not have realised before. And this has a direct role in boosting your confidence levels.

Learning curve

A CEO who thinks he knows everything has a lot to learn. Take a leaf out of Kohli's book and keep those books open. The star batsman is said to be a willing student and listener, and that's something you can apply to your work-life as well. No matter how much you know, there is always something more to learn from others. Whether it's a fellow CEO or simply an intern, be open to listening to other people and hearing their ideas. The best ideas come out of sources you least ex pected, so treat everyone's views and opinions with respect, even if they don't match yours. And who knows, it may even open your eyes.

Discipline counts

It's all well and good to say how you should improve -perhaps be more proactive or start taking charge of your day. But it amounts to nothing if you don't actually get down to doing it like Kohli. Self discipline, creating a time table and focussing on workable results and focussing on workable results are the only ways to actually get things done. It involves a lot of men tal strength to stay disciplined and not give into temptation, but once you start seeing your hard work pay off, it makes it worth it. Being disciplined is also a boon if you're a team leader. Showing your jun iors, whether it's on the pitch or in the boardroom, how discipline yields results drives home a much stronger message than just es tablishing rules.

glynda alves

ETP5JAN17