5 life lessons we can learn from Sourav Ganguly

#2 Leadership is all about showing faith

Ganguly changed the face of Indian cricket by backing those promising young talents

When asked to provide an accurate method to identify a natural leader, respected American writer Tom Peters remarked, 'Leaders don't create more followers, they create more leaders'. Ganguly's commendable captaincy career stands as testament to the impact that a true leader can create on his crew.

At a time when most other captains preferred to operate within cliques for fear of revolt, Ganguly broke stereotypes associated with subcontinental cricket by empowering each and every member in the side. From bowlers with keen tactical nous like Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan to shrewd batsmen such as Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni, the skipper tried to create plenty more leaders within the Indian team by entrusting them with responsibility. His decision to promote the debonair wicket-keeper batsman to number three during the 2005 Vizag ODI against Pakistan was instrumental in the evolution of Dhoni's career.

It did not come across as a surprise when the vast majority of his 'boys' stood by Ganguly's side at the time of crisis. That there is a leader hidden in each of us remains one of the most important lessons from the captain's legacy. The foremost aspect of good leadership lies in placing faith on one's troops rather than shouldering the burden on our own.