Leadership lessons for Mushfiq from the business world

[Zunaid]

In my rather lengthy (secret) career I've had great mentors and leaders who taught me how to lead and have also led fairly large geographically distributed teams. I've also had managers who should be taken out and shot and I've had to manage team members who should have been released to the world. There is a whole lot of difference between manage and lead.

Here are some lessons I learned and applied and perhaps Mushy (are you reading this?) should/could learn from.

Never publicly criticise any member of your team. Not even in front of fellow team members. Corollary, always have your team's back. The main point is: make your team feel good about themselves. They'll surprise as to what they can pull off during a criris.

Never play favorites. Treat everyone equally.

Learn to say no.

Remember that you are only as good as your team.

Have confidence. Be and look strong. There is no crying in cricket.

Learn to cuss. Or at least learn to express you are unhappy (or angry) to your team. It is ok to sometimes yell at them. Sometimes, it is necessary! Mushy is too nice.

Tell them how much you appreciate them. Even the ones you don't want on your team.

Assume responsibility for your team's mistakes. This is a biggie.

Corollary, don't take credit for the teams achievement (I have not seen Mushy doing that though)

Acknowledge your own mistakes. Only way to learn. This is where Mushy and most of us fail. Whenever we are criticized it is natural to get our defensive shields up. And instead of internalizing we often tend to lash out and give excuses. Mushy does this a lot.

[naim519]

Think outside the box. The best way to catch your opponents off-guard is to do the unpredictable.

Go through proper channel of communication. They are there for a reason. Let's not burn bridges here.

[iDumb]

Alienating someone like that is shameful specially done publicly like that. I can't believe he did that to a new comer. He has an obligation to protect the new comer, someone has to look up to him and be afraid of him at the same time.

Just think for a second what he has done. It's like putting an intern (new comer) under the bus for making a mistake.... It's your f**** job as the senior to make sure job is done right and mistakes are not made...... It's ok to rip the intern apart, but still need to be protective of them...

He made a mistake of doing a locker room galagali in public. A big no no.

But he is a quick learner, I think he will get better. I still think he is a our best captain, don't understand this ego stuff though....

[Night_wolf]

Good advice..not only for Mushfik but also for us young ones who just started their career

Zunaid bhai I hope you'll share your vast knowledge in the future too, some of us can learn a lot from your experience

[Sohel]

Great advice also paralleling my experiences. If Mushfiq reads this and takes it into his heart, he'll become a much better man manager. I won't bet on it. But he still has to demonstrate a positive, winning mindset with his bowler rotation and field setting according to the situation at hand. I don't think any of the local former cricketers can help him in that regard. He'll need to to learn that from winning captains of other countries. He should talk to Sangakkara, Jayawerdena, Wasim Akram, Sunil Gavaskar or even a non-playing expert such as Harsha Bhogle about what to do. So far he has shown zero ability to learn from his mistakes, mistakes which arguably cost us games from possibly winning positions over and over again. He doesn't even acknowledge them. I guess for him a "mistake" is not adhering to the script.

[reyme]

When nepotism is the first priority, no education will do any good. Even a five year old can be taught, but again, there are people who wont learn a thing in their lifetime, they just dont want to.

[imtiaz82]

Zunaid bhai, good advice but not going to help Mushy as he is a by-product of Bangladeshi culture. I would have said the same thing when I was back in States and surrounded by people who followed the same principal.

Over here managers never thank team members, credit for other's work are rampantly taken, nepotism is omnipresent, blame game is the first order of business. Finally, people have zero confidence in themselves and will go out of the way to concur with european/ american co-workers.

This kind of looser mentality starts from the airport and ends at office or home.

[Tigers_eye]

Great advice for everyone.
Mine would be "Speak the truth". If your life is in danger, don't speak at all if that would save your life. Else, do not short change yourself by saying a lie.

Originally Posted by imtiaz82
Zunaid bhai, good advice but not going to help Mushy as he is a by-product of Bangladeshi culture. I would have said the same thing when I was back in States and surrounded by people who followed the same principal....
This kind of looser mentality starts from the airport and ends at office or home.

If you don't show the path then the culture would not change. You, Zunaid bhai, Sohel bhai, me, and so many others - we all are by product of Bangladeshi culture. If we can learn, adapt, and implement - then everyone in BD can as well.

goddalika probahey gaa bhashai diley cholbey na.
+++
I remember Shakib's comment long time back. Our cricketers, spectators, officials none are professionals. We donot know what professionalism means. This was after his first tour at England County cricket.

[Zunaid]

Exactly what Mijan said. I'm a product of Bangladesh. I didn't go to the West until my mid-20s. I learned and adapted and thrived. I did have great mentors and role models. Perhaps that's what is missing - no role model, no one to inculcate professionalism and professional work ethics. And those who could have their hands tied or cut off.

[Night_wolf]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
Great advice for everyone.
Mine would be "Speak the truth". If your life is in danger, don't speak at all if that would save your life. Else, do not short change yourself by saying a lie.

problem is in our culture you have to lie in corporate world, Tel mara chara upore jaoai kosto..i really suck at tel

[imtiaz82]

Originally Posted by Zunaid
Exactly what Mijan said. I'm a product of Bangladesh. I didn't go to the West until my mid-20s. I learned and adapted and thrived. I did have great mentors and role models. Perhaps that's what is missing - no role model, no one to inculcate professionalism and professional work ethics. And those who could have their hands tied or cut off.

Agree, but as you said one needs the environment around to foster the change.. If Mushy migrates to Austrlalia, I am sure with correct mentor and support facility his captaincy will improve within months. But under BCB and our Bengali society in general, it's high unlikely..

[shujan]

Originally Posted by Zunaid

Never publicly criticise any member of your team. Not even in front of fellow team members. Corollary, always have your team's back. The main point is: make your team feel good about themselves. They'll surprise as to what they can pull off during a criris.

Acknowledge your own mistakes. Only way to learn. This is where Mushy and most of us fail. Whenever we are criticized it is natural to get our defensive shields up. And instead of internalizing we often tend to lash out and give excuses. Mushy does this a lot.

Mushfiq is passing the blame to others when he is the one making bad decision as captain. This shows a big gap in his character.
Shaqib is the tru captain. Mushfiq is riding on Shaqib and Tamim for very long time.

[Zunaid]

Originally Posted by shujan
Mushfiq is passing the blame to others when he is the one making bad decision as captain. This shows a big gap in his character.
Shaqib is the tru captain. Mushfiq is riding on Shaqib and Tamim for very long time.

He is not riding on anyone. His performance speaks for itself. Don't degrade everything about someone just because you do not like some aspects of what he does.

[Tiger-ess]

Who did he publicly criticize and why?

[Fazal]

Originally Posted by Tiger-ess
Who did he publicly criticize and why?

Welcome back Rip Van Winkle.

[Zunaid]

I need to add one more:

Don't get stuck to a script. Learn to improvise. The world doesn't follow a script.

[imtiaz82]

Even the associate countries have better captain than Mushfiq. In fact the blame should be on BCB for selecting someone who is mentally handicapped. He is a very hard working cricketer and the most dedicated in the team, so if he had the capacity to learn leadership and tactics he would have done it by now...

[Sohel]

Originally Posted by Zunaid
I need to add one more:

Don't get stuck to a script. Learn to improvise. The world doesn't follow a script.

The determinists would disagree.

[shuziburo]

Who will be the role model? Mushfiqur had shown how to work hard on his game, but I see none with leadership ability.

This is the time to hire the right coach. Saqlain, if he was not opposed to working full time, might be an excellent choice.

[mufi_02]

Don't fall for your co-worker's hot shali.

[weekyd]

Originally Posted by mufi_02
Don't fall for your co-worker's hot shali.

She's not all that.

[MustaphaAli]

Originally Posted by weekyd
She's not all that.

sorry brad pitt

Posted via BC Mobile Edition

[cricket_pagol]

Originally Posted by Zunaid
Learn to cuss. Or at least learn to express you are unhappy (or angry) to your team. It is ok to sometimes yell at them. Sometimes, it is necessary! Mushy is too nice.

Zunaid bhai, is the drama associated with cussing and getting angry really needed to show displeasure. I would prefer someone who can show their unhappiness in a calm and composed manner.

[kalpurush]

Originally Posted by Zunaid


Never publicly criticise any member of your team. Not even in front of fellow team members. Corollary, always have your team's back. The main point is: make your team feel good about themselves. They'll surprise as to what they can pull off during a criris.

Never play favorites. Treat everyone equally.

Learn to say no.

Remember that you are only as good as your team.

Have confidence. Be and look strong. There is no crying in cricket.

Learn to cuss. Or at least learn to express you are unhappy (or angry) to your team. It is ok to sometimes yell at them. Sometimes, it is necessary! Mushy is too nice.

Tell them how much you appreciate them. Even the ones you don't want on your team.

Assume responsibility for your team's mistakes. This is a biggie.

Acknowledge your own mistakes. Only way to learn. This is where Mushy and most of us fail. Whenever we are criticized it is natural to get our defensive shields up. And instead of internalizing we often tend to lash out and give excuses. Mushy does this a lot.

Boss, you should talk to Mushy personally if you want to help him. Make it happen in your next trip to Bangladesh, please

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by Sohel
...So far he has shown zero ability to learn from his mistakes, mistakes which arguably cost us games from possibly winning positions over and over again. He doesn't even acknowledge them. I guess for him a "mistake" is not adhering to the script.

Hot from the press Sohel bhai:

"amar monay hoi ami 100% thik" - Mushfiq. Ektu agey news'a shunlam.

Amar kisu bolar nai. Apney mia ekta kufa. ja bolen tai shotto hoye jai.