My captaincy did not have specific rules: Sourav Ganguly

Kolkata: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president and former Team India captain Sourav Ganguly said, “My captaincy did not have specific rules.”

During his second live session on Unacademy, India’s largest learning platform, which lasted over 60 minutes today, the renowned cricketer endearingly referred to as ‘Dada’, elaborated on the real life experiences from his leadership journey talking about various factors that can help an individual become a good leader as well as a team player.

Sharing his thoughts and experiences, Ganguly mentioned to the learners that one should always do what they feel is right without having the fear of being judged or criticized.

Taking over as a captain at a young age, he also spoke about how leadership skills are honed over a period of time and not necessarily learnt from a book. In order to be a great leader, one must give sufficient freedom and liberty to the team members along with opportunities and responsibilities, followed by the required recognition and appreciation.

For instance, during the Live Class, Ganguly recalled how he stood his ground during the selection meeting ahead of the 2003 Australia tour to include Anil Kumble in the team. Kumble went on to play a pivotal role in India’s success during the tour. Pointing this out, he stressed on the fact that supporting players during the crucial stages of their career is essential.

His thought provoking words on leadership skills will inspire various learners who aspire to become leaders of the nation or in the field of their choice in future.

During the session, Ganguly addressed various questions from the audience including - How to become a good leader? How to manage multiple team members and decide when to speak and when to let go off? How do you envision the future of Indian cricket? and many more.

He said leadership is learnt from experiences and not from books.

“In order to create our own benchmarks we must do what we feel is right without fearing judgements or criticism,” Ganguly said. (UNI)