As the Twenty 20 cricket world cup gets underway - and it's got off to a fantastic start - I started to think about teams.

There was something compelling in the first game about the determination and desire to win of the South African team. It seemed as if there was a team spirit and ethos that were pretty contagious - a few calculated risks, a bit of luck, a surge of morale as things went well, a focus on what needed to be done and a determination not to let any setback get in the way. Complementary skills, mutual support and someone as well as the team captain who was prepared to take the lead were very apparent.

Clive Woodward who spoke at our launch event talked about the need to have that obsessive desire to win if you are to be a champion. He showed a short film about winning with the theme that inches make the difference.

Taking all this together, there are some very powerful messages for work teams and for leadership. Focus, attention to detail as well as the big picture, collective endavour and determination are equally as important as they were to the South Africans.

And the man of the match - Chris Gayle - played an amazing innings with superb and devastatingly effective batting. He was a real super star. But his team lost basically because collectively as a unit, they lacked some of the team attributes the opposition showed on the night.

 

Following on What about Zimbabwe?! A team at the world cup who were consisered underdogs and many were saying should not even be there. Almost beaten by Duckworth Lewis and the technical know how of the world champions Australia( Ricky Pontin their catain had the DC rule book in his pocket and constantly referred to it as the rain came down) Determination and passion of the team and individuals linked to T. Cup (thinking correctly under pressure ) won the day.