Switching on, before you are on

Mikael Kristenson

Today I want to share with you one of the lessons we can all learn from one person whom most of us consider God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar.

This is an incident from the Sachin’s innings at Centurion in 2003 World Cup against Pakistan. He made 98 from 75 balls and not a person who watched it can dare say he doesn’t remember it.

Towards the tail end of that innings, Tendulkar was struggling. It might have been cramps and surely a runner was needed. But he continued to hobble, waving all requests away. I asked him about it and his reply revealed how differently extraordinary men think. Whoever ran for him, Tendulkar said, would have to be at least two yards quicker than him because he would have to assess whether or not a single was on. He would have to see how hard, or softly, the ball had been struck, where the fielder was and then think of the possibility of a single. But, said Tendulkar, since he was batting, he already knew all that and so had an advantage. His single, he said, began before he hit the ball.

He knew, he said, where the fielder was and adjusted his stroke accordingly and so the single was conceived before the ball was played and executed with soft hands

It was an extraordinary story about one of the great one-day batting performances of all time. And he told it like it was a simple narrative. He wasn’t boasting, merely stating things—unaware, that it wasn’t quite as obvious to someone else.

Conclusion

So this was a story from a genius, but how can we learn from this. I feel the same strategy can be applied by everyone in their own profession. For example, when you are called upon to give a client presentation, do you actually start when you are called on, or the call is just a mere sign, you are already ahead of the game and started on your presentation in your mind.

What do you think, can you apply same principle in your work place?

Credits To Harsha Bhogle