Leadership

Its strange that I came across this piece on the net that somehow struck a chord within me. Its something that has always fascinated me if not inspired me. It deals with stories and heroes in a modern era. In the corporate jungle out there these are the guys who are analogous to the mythical heroes of old. The risks might be different but the magnitude is the same. Its a long article so read it when you have time. Its called Why every company needs a story?. Here is an excerpt from that article "The classic business story is much like the classic human story," says Mark Helprin. "There is rise and fall; the overcoming of great odds; the upholding of principles despite the cost; questions of rivalry and succession; and even the possibility of descent into madness."

The story talks of great leaders who, as that great Apple advertisement claims "The people crazy enough to believe they can change the world are the ones who do." You dont have to look far for examples. Be it the visionary who launched Air-India and ran it in a manner that made it the best airline in the world for a while or be it the captain who would throw tradition to the wind and go in with three seamers for the first time ever, open a Test innings with a man who was widely known as one with a suspect technique and use a cricketer thrown out of the National Cricket Academy as his frontline spinner.

Well its time to get back to work as the hours count down to that deadline and unlike Douglas Adams, who suddenly seems to be the flavour of the month after the release of the movie "The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy", I cannot say "I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.". Over and out folks... :)