Corporate lessons from a cricket match

India lost the only 20-20 match that they played in England to end their rather disastrous tour. While the loss on itself will soon be forgotten what made news was the way Dhoni decided to handle the situation.
India needed 17 from eight balls. India needed anything, anything from Rayudu: a four, a two maybe. But Rayudu couldn’t manage to score. Two dot balls, one on leg, the other on off, and that made Dhoni decide on taking complete ownership. He wanted to maximize the probability of an Indian victory, and he did exactly that. If he failed he’d be ripped apart if he succeeded it would be hailed as one more master stroke. Unfortunately for him and for India, this time he didn’t succeed.
What if Dhoni gave Rayudu a pat on the back, told him that he has complete faith in him and asked him to prove himself, could the result have been be different?
Similar situations arise even in the corporate world. Different Managers handle such situations and differently and there is no right way or a wrong way when it comes to such situations.
I for one though, prefer the approach Dhoni took. Its take a lot of courage to step up for the team especially when the whole country is watching with bated breath. He displayed 2 qualities that are critical for every Managers success.
Ownership
When the Manager accepts responsibility for the actions of his team members, and that the buck stops with him for any employee related issues that could cause dissatisfaction. You may not execute the actions yourself but you are responsible for the closure.
Lead by example
As a manager, part of your job is to inspire the people around you to push themselves – and, in turn, the company – to greatness. To do this, you must show them the way by doing it yourself.
Having said that it is important to let the team member know that while the Manager has faith in his abilities there are times when the Manager takes certain decisions in the interest of the Organisation. Imagine would have happened if Dhoni let Rayudu face another 2 balls and if those didn’t go for runs. The media would have ripped him apart, the Indian fans would have asked for him to be sacked immediately and Rayudu’s confidence would have been shattered. This wouldn’t have been good for India especially since they are preparing for the World Cup in 2015. Dhoni however can stand up to the pressure….
How often do we see Managers shying away from taking ownership and holding team members responsible for failures. Several of them also seem comfortable blaming outside forces rather than questioning their own internal efforts. We also see the “blame game” phenomenon across all levels of an organization especially when results are unsatisfactory.
How many times have you shied away from accepting responsibility for your teams failure ?