Leadership-The IPL T20 Way

Six weeks of “cricketainment”comes to a close with the IPL T20 cricket finals at Mumbai tonight. The “Super Bowl”of India-conceived, crafted and conducted with clinical precision has received great appreciations and accolades from all over the world. It is estimated that more than 99 million watched this spectacle on and off the venue on a daily basis, relegating all other chores or engagements to second place.

What are the leadership acts witnessed from  this new “genie” out of the bottle?

• A Great Business Opportunity – From a cricket game to an excellent game plan with enormous potential to create business value to all its stake holders-corporate kings, star power, media muzzle and brand equity, at considerable leverage and risk-return framework navigating unchartered territory both in sports and entertainment.

• The “Salad Bowl” kind of global teams -assembled in India at very high stakes under local business banners. It was very interesting to watch how players from different countries integrated gradually into cohesive teams as the competition progressed to the final round.

• Talent scouting and development – Great team building efforts by veteran cricketeers and coaches many a times disregarding perceived brand value of individual players produced world class teams with a spin off benefit of spotting new talent from within India for future employment.

• Breaking Barriers – A new level of aggressive performance with dynamism, flexibility and innovative execution was very evident in many of the matches played. Many new records were created or broken during the tournament.

• The Great Visual Treat – provided to  spectators at global level  within a reasonable duration of 3 to 4 hours at affordable costs with added entertainment value cleverly mixing business with pleasure.

Kerry Parker should feel very happy and vindicated for having first put in place the limited over cricket format. The IPL T20 leadership has now taken it to new heights of “Cricketainment” adapting it to the 21st century visual and digital medium with very promising returns to all its constituents.