Lacking Leadership

I was watching highlights involving Pakistan and the South African cricket team over the last few days. What became very apparent and obvious was the lack of leadership skills with the newly appointed SA captain Quinton De Kock.

The guy just looks so unsure of himself and is too scared to make a decision which is impacting on the team. When someone is so undecisive it takes away the confidence and uncertainty filters through the team.

No one would care if a decision was made and it was the wrong call as that is how you learn. The top captains on whatever sport they are involved in have made mistakes and have not always been perfect, but they believed in the call they made.

Surely the selectors would have known what type of character he was as this guy couldn't scare a mouse. Not everyone has the ability to lead a team no matter how good a player they are. This is not about your ability to play the game but how you inspire others around you to raise their game.

Many years ago England appointed Mike Brearley as their skipper and he was the opposite. He was a brilliant tactician and leader which made up for being just an average type player. This works only if the team has strength and Brearley had super management skills. One ex player was famously quoted for saying he had a "degree in people" which is what is required. Mike Brearley averaged 22 with the bat at test cricket which is not good, but his captaincy was worth far more to the team.

Every person can perform if they have the required support and are managed into those types of situations. Getting the best out of players is a skill only a small percentage of people have. This is what the selectors should be looking for when selecting their leaders and looking at the SA team that was never the case in this instance. I believe he is already stepping down from his new role which is the best decision he has made and in a way blame him for accepting the role in the first place. You know what you are capable of an just didn't have the personality or character to fulfil that role.

He is not alone as there are quite a few other sporting teams under performing lacking leadership who would turn there results around just by having the right leader in place. This is why the captain has to be the first name on every team sheet for what they offer as the team is molded around him or her.