Deb Dutta

In one of my recent intercontinental flights, I happened to watch Clint Eastwood’s Invictus. I have since etched in my mind this memorable exchange between Matt Damon’s Francois Pienaar character, the captain of Springboks rugby team and President Nelson Mandela, brilliantly played by Morgan Freeman. President Mandela invites Pienaar for tea after a dismal performance by the Springbok’s against England one year ahead of the Rugby World Cup. He asks Pienaar, “What is your philosophy of leadership. How do you inspire your team to do their best”. Pienaar, the natural leader says, “I lead by example. I do not expect my team to do anything that I am not prepared to do myself.” President Mandela keeps probing, “How could your team be made to do better than what they think they can do? Perhaps it is through inspiration … by inspiring each individual to greatness where nothing less will do – by using the work and success of others. To build our nation we need to exceed our own expectations.”

President Mandela delivers ‘the inspiration’ to Pienaar in the form of a Victorian poem he had read while in prison. Francois Pienaar and his team respond to the President’s challenge by winning the World Cup for South Africa! President Mandela uses the same inspiration to stand tall, extract a nation from the throes of post apartheid infighting and transform it into a developed nation of equal opportunity for people irrespective of cast, color or creed! Both individuals demonstrate incredible persistence against stiff odds, resilience and all the characteristics of true leadership!

Circumstances that leaders often face are far from ideal. They are unknown, unfair, unreal and often impractical – but they are crucial and have far reaching consequences! They are governed by elements that are way out of control of the leader or the team that he leads. The odds are significant and the team is looking up to the leader. What does he do?? I have been in these situations many a time and did better in some than in others. So, what was unique in the instances where my team and I fared relatively well …

An inspiration – someone else’s example of triumph over insurmountable odds much like President Mandela’s inspiration that Pienaar uses. History has seen the human race and the leaders who have lead us face every form of conceivable odds and triumphed over them. Find one that suits your situation the most. I find myself reading voraciously when I am faced with new circumstances and change irrespective of how complex they are!

A Vision to get the team together, committed and focused on a common goal, a vision that is larger than life! People relate well to anything that is larger than themselves – an empowering belief, a picturization of the positive outcomes of their efforts that emerges out of the belief and rewards them are great examples.

Get the ‘right people on the bus’ – Outcomes are a reflection of the quality of people who are involved in it. Get the right skills together and as a leader, do not flinch in importing top talent … even people smarter than you. Insecurity is the first nail on a leader’s coffin. A great team elevates a leader while a poor team pulls the leader down – irrespective of the leader’s personal competence!

Focus on the Control Points. Individuals and teams spend enormous amount of time, effort and cycles focusing on things they do not control or have zero influence over! Blaming the world, the external factors and mulling over matters that are beyond your control is demeaning and perhaps the most wasteful leakage of your energy source, spirit and motivation! When the President asks Pienaar how his injured ankle is doing, Pienaar says, “You never play at 100%, Mr. President”. “In sports and in life”, President Mandela quips.

Accountability and Authority. Challenging times need teamwork chugging at its best. The sum total of the team’s output needs to invariably be larger than the sum of the individual parts. Every member of the team is expected to understand his competency, role and result expectations. I cluster all this into a single word – ‘Accountability’. I cannot hold team members accountable if I do not give them the authority. Conversely, I cannot give them authority if they are unsure of their accountability or are unwilling to sign up for it. Every time, I seen this packaged well by the leader and accepted well by the team, the results are invariably incredible!

Finally, Balanced Nonchalance, this is the one that makes the biggest difference. It is an ability to blend and balance the state of inspiration and the commitment to the vision or end goal with the acceptance of the present. Realization and acceptance of a larger purpose rather than the immediate goal. Reining in stress and anger. Our best performances at work, sports or in social settings come when we do not force things nor get ‘over strung’! Our actions flow smoothly, effortlessly but synchronously – yet they all happen in a seemingly nonchalant state – a state of balance! Watch the champions in every field and you will see what I mean!

For those of you who have watched Invictus, you know the Victorian poem that inspired the emergence of not just a national rugby team to international prominence but the Nation itself! For me the last two lines are inspiring enough …

“I am the master of my fate
I am the captain of my soul…..”

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