Now that Sachin has announced his retirement and we would not be seeing him in action for long, I started thinking about what impact did he really have on our lives. What can working professionals like me learn from a sporting great like him? The following are some thoughts that came to my mind:
Be the best in what you do - Then you become the obvious choice for awards, fame, recognition, reaching out, etc. So, let your work speak for you.
Change yourself overtime to suit the needs of the present - Over years Sachin transformed himself from an opening hitter, to a middle order stabilizing force to a guide/mentor figure. I see a similar characteristic in Narendra Modi also, who transformed himself from a strongman to a development oriented chief minister to a now aspiring action-oriented statesman.
You don't need to be a leader to achieve success - Sachin's captaincy was a disaster, but, that didn't stop him from continuing to grow and succeed as a batsman - i.e he was a good professional & a poor leader and yet successful.
Grow/Succeed in multiple things - I think beyond cricket, Sachin has ensured that he is successful in life in multiple things, esp. things which are not easy when you are always in the spotlight:
1. Maintaining a near spotless image and respected by all
2. A pretty happy family life (I think) - no affairs & broken relationships like so many other cricketers (ex: Saurav Ganguly)
3. No nauseating display of wealth even though he is filthy rich
Maybe the last two come from a typical middle-class upbringing.
