Leadership is a Function, Not an Entitlement

EXCEPT THAT THEY TOOK place simultaneously, the recent Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, as well as those to the municipal corporation of Delhi, seem to be unrelated to the soccer World Cup in Qatar.

- Hardayal Singh

Even so, they provide pretty similar insights into the essence of organisational effectiveness.

First, the role of the regulator or a referee to ensure a fair contest can never be overemphasised. The Election Commission conducted the elections with credibility according to a well set protocol. The results were announced on the counting date itself; likewise, no team in the World Cup has seriously complained against the standard of refereeing at the World Cup.

Compare the elections in India with those in the United States. The election procedures there differ from state to state, sometimes county to county, and the counting itself is spread over days, if not weeks. Great credit is therefore, due to the Election Commission of India for the seamless and efficient manner in which it carries out its duties.

PLAYING AS A TEAM

The World Cup has shown us that star studded teams do not always succeed. Teams from Croatia and Morocco, small countries with very few stars, reached the semifinals, while many powerhouses - Germany Spain, Portugal etc., fell by the wayside.