Nina Tripathi had done everything right, her peers said she was a gifted negotiator. Her persuasive skills and business acumen were unparalleled. Yet, with all that and her 100% efforts, her start up "IGN8" wasn't igniting the online education circuit.
She came from a prestigious school with an excellent academic record. She had the constant company of books that made her a loner. Meaningful conversation preceded mindless chatter and her friends were few. Her time was spent with her parents who were highly intellectual.
She got into a top management institution and her dedication and hard work ensured she sailed smoothly through college, internship and placement. She was working towards a top management role and a bright future ahead.
During the alumni meet few years later, she met Amit Gupta again. In college he was a star footballer, charmer and a social magnet. He was a natural leader but barely scrapped through exams and projects. While talking to him, she discovered that his start up was on its way of becoming a fortune 500 company. She thought she would take inspiration and take serious steps towards the idea of online education start up she had been toying around for a while. She was sure of success that now seemed out of her reach.
Sports was something she stayed away from. Never paying attention to PE or Sport more than absolutely necessary since Indian education system does not need you to excel in the extra curricular activities to pass. This eventually meant she never learnt to be a team player. Never learnt to win or lose with a team, stand by a team mate, cheer for others success, console each other and prepare for a stronger strategy to win next time.
Today, watching Argentina, Portugal and Brazil lose in play offs of World Cup made her sit up and notice the flaw. It is heartbreaking to see disappointed Messi, Ronaldo or Neymar standing on the ground after the match. They are exceptional players. They have reached highs for the sport that will be remembered for years to come. What is lacking is the team support. As a team, they do not stand a chance. Even if they had made it to semi finals, they would have struggled to survive the next match with competent opponents. A lesson to learn is that no matter how big a legend you are, no matter how much your personal achievements are, the game is won only when you are a successful team.
Sportsman spirit is an umbrella that covers a range of life skills. Feeling of elation when you win, cheering for a team mate, putting betterment of the team ahead of oneself, playing with other champions and learning a technique or two, every bit of experience makes one a better individual.
Academic pressure for today's generation has over shadowed the importance of playing a sport or learning an art. The importance of completing is so strong that we are neglecting playing for the sheer joy of the sport. Playing is a stress buster that should never be linked to making it to the team or winning a tournament.
When a person thinks of his own goals and achievements, he is an achiever. When a person does it for others as well, he becomes a leader. As Nina leaves for work Monday morning, the company is in better hands and her colleagues are in for an improved leadership.
