I’ve Got Your Back
Saturdays With Shivani
Before Omicron unleashed its terror, thwarting our little plans and unleashing stringent policies in its wake, there were brief moments when the wintry December sun shined and we made some hay as the wise ones say. Among other things, we watched a movie in a theatre, no less. I know I’m given to drama but after two years of deprivation, this moment deserves some of it from a movie buff like me.
Though not a cricket fan, I have been smitten by Kapil Dev’s rustic charm since his ‘Palmolive da jawab nahi’ days when he would flash his dimpled toothy grin on our TV screens endorsing a product, I had no use of. So how could I let go off the opportunity to watch ’83 on big screen? As a hall full off desis, who haven’t been home for two years, cheered and cried, I couldn’t help notice how beautifully Kapil Dev’s character shines through. He backs his boys with a rare conviction when no one believes in them including the players themselves.
The administration and cricket fans’ reactions are shown in stark contrast. Their adulation ebbs and floods depending on the team’s performance; a typical human reaction one would expect. We left the hall wiping our tears soaked in nostalgia and emotion but for me what kept coming back later was Kapil Dev’s gumption, his leading from the front and standing by his team.
Backing a winner is easy; chadte suraj ko sab salaam karte hain (everyone bows down to the rising Sun). Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan (putting a tamer version as I am told some kids read my writeups too). How many of us look for potential and on spotting that spark encourage it wholeheartedly on good days and back it up on bad days?
There are certain skills that they forget to teach in B schools. Mouthing encouraging lines isn’t going to help us build better teams. Your team needs to know that you believe in them, that you have their back. Not just professionally, the people who look up to us or our children for that matter should get that confidence from us.
Long ago when I cracked the Pre-med entrance exam, my uncle told me a story about a farmer and his stallion. The farmer backed his stallion through good times and bad, enjoying its successes and nursing its injuries with the same equanimity despite what the villagers said about the stallion. The story ended with the stallion bringing a lot of prosperity to the farmer that finally shut everyone’s mouths.
He probably wanted to tell me to remain calm in adversity and success irrespective of what people said. The theorem was adequately tested and proven in my moments of failure when my cheerleaders booed me and deserted me. Years later when I was in a position to back some stallions of my own, they never disappointed me and the corollary of the theory was tested too. ‘I got your back’ may be simple words but they pack in a lot more. Do try and tell me about it.