Rahul Sharad Dravid, popularly known as ‘The Wall’, was born on 11 January 1973 in Indore. He started playing cricket by the age of 12 and went on to captain India in both the longer formats of the game. He is an honorary recipient of Padma Bhusan award, Don Bradman Award, ICC Test Player of The Year, ICC Cricketer of The Year and Padma Shri, Wisden Cricketer of the Year award and Arjuna award. In October of 2013, one of India’s go-to cricketer and last classic test match batsman – Rahul Dravid, bid adieu to international cricket. As a classic test batsman with phenomenal technique, Dravid is one of the few who have been able to score over 10,000 runs in both formats of the game. Technical excellence coupled with his mental toughness and never-say-die attitude is something that makes him a stand out performer for India. Though his entire life has revolved around cricket, he has taught us some valuable lessons in the process:
There’s no substitute for hard work:
Throughout his career, Dravid was the first to come to practice and the last one to leave. As Navjot Singh Sidhu Quoted about Dravid : ” Some succeeded because they are destined to, but he succeeded because he was Determined to.” He is someone who sweated everyday in the nets, listened to the advices from his coaches just to become better than what he was the day before. His commitment, will power and willingness to improve is a valuable lesson to all entrepreneurs out there.
It pays to have patience:
One of the main reasons behind his tremendous success is his never ending patience. Throughout his career, he never hurried through his innings, he took his time and waited for the right deliveries. As Brian Lara puts it “If I have put anyone to bat for my life, it’ll be Kallis or Dravid.” Whenever the team was in trouble, he was there to patiently build the innings and see India home. Yes, he was not as flamboyant as the master blaster, but whenever the team was in trouble, we all banked on this one man. Similarly, when your startup is at an early stage, or as an entrepreneur you’re going through a turmoil, be patient and try your best.
Always be ready to learn:
In the early part of his career, Dravid was never considered to be a suitable ODI player. His textbook style of play made him too “slow” for limited overs cricket and he was in and out of the ODI squad for the first few years. But he did not give up and started concentrating on his weak areas. He took advice of his coaches, seniors and learned art of ODI batsmanship and eventually emerged as the highest run getter in the 1999 world cup. Similarly, as an entrepreneur, you’ll be required to learn new skills as you go along; there will always be room for improvement.
Team comes first:
When Sourav ganguly asked Dravid to keep wickets so that the team could accomodate an extra batsman in the line up, he agreed to do so even though he never enjoyed this work. A complete team man, he was always ready to take on new roles to help his team. As rightly said by Harsha Bhogle, Rahul dravid was:“the wolf who lived for the pack.” He captained the side after the infamous Greg Chappel debacle, opened the innings when India was short of openers, concentrated all day in the slips and eventually retired to make sure that the batsman who replaces him gets to start his career in favourable home conditions rather than hostile conditions abroad. As an entrepreneur, even you are required to put your team’s interests ahead of yours. If you want full commitment of your subordinates, you’ll have to lead from the front and set the organisation’s goals as the top most priority- ahead of any personal interests.
The three Cs: Commitment, Consistency, Class:
Vijaya Dravid, Rahul Dravid’s wife, once said “If I packed only two sets of informal clothes, he would rotate them through an entire tour if he had to and not think about it. He doesn’t care for gadgets, and barely registers brands – of watches, cologne or cars. But if the weight of his bat as off by a gram, he would notice it in an instant and get the problem fixed.” Such was his commitment to the game. He didn’t play for money or glory; he played for something way beyond. He wasn’t born to be a successful ODI cricketer, but he became one by toiling in the nets and taking himself nearer to the goal by consistently practising day in and day out. He was one of the last classic test batsmen with sound technique.No one could question is footwork or his brilliant strokeplay- mastered by years of hardwork. Off the field, Dravid is remarkably shy, but carrying himself with a good deal of grace and humility. Dubbed as the “nicest man in the game of cricket”, his humble,calm attitude has earned him respect from his team mates as well as his opponents. These 3 Cs can be the mantra to success to a cricketer as well as an entrepreneur. Be committed to your work, give it the first priority and be consistent in working towards the goal. Be humble and graceful in your conduct. It will earn you the respect of your teammates and subordinates. Mastering these skills will surely be instrumental in your success as an entrepreneur.
