THE WINNING STROKE: IN THE TEAM WE TRUST!

Authored by Alok Ohrie, President & Managing Director, India Commercial, Dell EMC

'One for all and all for one’ is not merely an adage, but one of the most important principles behind team building in all realms of life, work or even a sport like cricket. Leaders would need to channelize this spirit of team building for any kind of success. Who else can demonstrate that better than M S Dhoni, the one cricketer who has contributed the most to Indian cricket’s string of successes. If you were to witness the massive sixer, the Rising Pune Supergiant star batsman of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Yuzvendra Chahal, hit off, you’d know. A crucial 28 off 25 balls helped RSP beat RCB. In the past too, M S Dhoni has created many example with his style that is a mix of the visionary and the participatory. If one were to look back at the last decade, M S Dhoni certainly stands out as a leader who walks the talk, enables and empowers the team, remains humble and grounded, while also staying captain cool. He allows the team to take credit, inspiring trust and motivating them to greater heights.
One of the most important investments any leader should make is towards team building. I constantly try to create a platform that allows my leadership team to communicate seamlessly, help them to disagree or debate, and yet, work towards a situation where everyone emerges a winner. The importance of collaboration can’t be underlined enough. It means members of leadership teams work together, partner with each other and build something of value. To achieve such a collaboration, trust and respect are highly important factors.
Much like cricket, team dynamics matter a lot in the IT industry. A leader should encourage a cross-functional and diversely talented team. One of the strategies I follow is to get the team members to define the problem with clarity. Once that is done, different solutions are guaranteed to flow. This diverse range would ensure that the final answer would have a 360-degree dimension to it. To achieve this, teams and their leaders should understand that the global landscape is rapidly evolving. Traditional static approach is redundant now. Teams, under the guidance of a skilled leader, should be flexible, foster a learning and adaptive attitude, and, also be open to unlearn.
Cricket and business have another thing in common; unpredictability. To build strong teams, leaders need to understand malleability and evolution. Malleability in terms of strategy. A dynamic landscape requires equally dynamic strategy to keep up the pace. Along with the strategy, the leaders should also evolve with time. There was a time where leaders had set values and made 5-year strategy plans. Today, I feel, they should seek inspiration from other role models and harbour a capacity to take decisions with changing winds.
Citing an example, I have looked up to my parents for motivation. My mother has taught me the importance of a structured and well-thought-out approach to solving issues, while my father has helped me learn the importance of perseverance, integrity and passion. But after incorporating these values in me, I also looked forth to learning from other sources and evolving further. Today as the President of the Dell EMC India business, I always look for these qualities within new leaders and team members. If I were to think of #TheWinningStroke moment, I always think back to the way M S Dhoni gave Ishant Sharma the chance to bowl during the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. Ishant Sharma went on to snare two key wickets and took India to victory. Now, that’s the kind of moment we all want in our work-lives as well, where our decision fits the requirement and the team member delivers to the faith put in him.