Poor Leadership Can Kill Talent and Sink a Team
In 2018, a young cricketer named Mayank Raghav walked out to bat on his Ranji Trophy debut for Manipur.
He wasn’t from a famous academy. He wasn’t carrying a big name. Just a quiet, determined guy playing for one of India’s newer cricketing states.
What happened next should have been a dream.
228 runs. On debut.
One of the highest debut scores in Ranji history. His name written into the record books alongside legends. His story splashed across newspapers the next morning.
Imagine being in his shoes: the years of practice, the countless hours under the sun, the sacrifices — all paying off in one historic innings. You’d think this would be the launchpad to a long career. That meritocracy would do its job. That proof of talent, caught on camera and in the scorebooks, would open doors.
But cricket, like life, doesn’t always reward you when you do everything right.
Instead of being celebrated, Mayank was quietly dropped. No contract extension. No next match. Just silence.
It’s hard to imagine the gut punch. You break into history books… and then you’re shut out of the system. He went through emotional hell as he saw his dream evaporate.
Fast forward six years.
Mayank made his way to the US to play in a rising league. He was, without doubt, the most talented player on the team. And yet, the same problem followed him. Leadership. Instead of letting him thrive, his manager clipped his wings. Told him how he should play. Ignored the very style of batting that had gotten him this far.
The result? Four failures in a row.
And suddenly, the whispers began again: maybe the debut was a fluke. Maybe he wasn’t that good.
Now pause for a moment. Imagine carrying that weight — the record innings, the years of being ignored, and now a new team questioning whether you even belong.
What did Mayank do?
On his fifth outing, he tuned out the noise. He trusted himself. He went back to playing his natural game.
Result? Man of the Match. He single-handedly carried his team to victory.
Poor leadership is widespread. But when you keep performing, no one can deny your place. Make your performance undeniable.
Useful Ideas:
Expect bad leaders – Poor leaders exist everywhere. They’ll tell you what to do without ever having done it themselves. They’ll hold you back, not push you forward. They won’t understand how to make the best use of your talent. You can’t control them — you can only perform despite them. Expect them so that you are prepared for the challenge.
Treasure the good ones – Great leaders are rare. Treasure them when you find them because they’ll back you, teach you, fight for you. Be open to learning from them.
Be an “A” Player – The best insurance is to be an “A” player. Keep learning. Keep adapting. Focus on the controllables. Deliver when it matters.
👋 I’m Harsh. I build businesses with people I like and share useful ideas for making better decisions — to live a Happy & Rich life.
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