With the World Cup trophy back in India after 28 years, hero worship of Team India continues unabated into the second day. In a country of 1.21 billion where cricket is a religion, it’s therefore only natural that our Men in Blue have been the subject of intense discussion-heir leadership styles, personality traits, likes dislikes and what have you.
TOI commissioned OD Alternatives to map the personality and leadership styles of the playing 11 of Team India using the Enneagram tool-a globally accepted personality profiling method. OD Alternatives is a Delhi-based organization development and consulting firm working in the area of leadership development, change and transformation and executive coaching.
Enneagram is a set of nine distinct personality types, with each number denoting a certain type. To identify an Enneagram personality, the best option is to use a questionnaire. However, there are chances of people projecting a desired type rather than the real one. So usually, type identification is done with multiple inputs. In this case, since the cricketers themselves were busy battling out in the field, the study was carried through a mix of tools such as looking at existing literature and background available on the players, watching videos of their interviews, talking to their fans and other experts.
Significantly, people are usually born into one and do not change from one basic personality type to another. The numerical ranking of the types is also not significant. So it’s not better to be a Nine than a Two just because nine is a bigger number. While all the personality types have unique assets and liabilities, some types are often more desirable than others in a group.
Globally too, several MNCs have been using this psychometric instrument for leadership development, team building and executive coaching. In management parlance, Enneagram makes possible an accurate assessment of your leadership strengths and challenges. It provides a developmental plan for better decision-making, success, relationships, and above all getting results.
Of the nine personality types, type 3 and type 1 dominate with two cricketers respectively falling into the category. While, none of the cricketers fell in the type 4, 5 and 6 categories, some had overlaps of type 7and 8 together; 3 and 8 together and 2 and 8 together. Since little information was available on Munaf Patel, his personality type could not be ascertained. Read on for the details.
TYPE 3 | M S DHONI & VIRAT KOHLI: Optimistic, adaptable, success-oriented, self-assured, and charming. They can also be status-conscious and highly driven for advancement. They are diplomatic and poised, but can also be overly concerned with their image and what others think of them. Consequently, they can be impatient and image-driven. They seek to be loved for performance and achievement. Masters at appearances-they are able to recover quickly from setbacks and charge ahead to the next challenge, staying informed, knowing what’s going on, competent and able to get things to work efficiently and motivate others.
TYPE 1 | SACHIN TENDULKAR & GAUTAM GAMBHIR: Principled, rational, conscientious, and ethical, with a strong sense of right and wrong. They are improvement-oriented, and self-controlled, but also can be critical, and self-judging. They are always striving to improve things, but afraid of making a mistake. Well-organized, they try to maintain high standards, but can slip into being critical and impatient. Believe one must be good and right to be ‘worthy’. Procrastinate for fear of making a mistake. Uses ‘should’ and ‘must’ a lot. Can accomplish a great deal having high standards and dedication. Able to put facts together and figuring out wise solutions; being the best they can be and bringing out the best in other people.
TYPE 2 | SURESH RAINA: They are caring, interpersonal, sincere and relationship-oriented type. Know what people want and need. Enthusiastic and having a good sense of humour. Empathetic and warm-hearted, they demand affection and approval. Friendly, generous, and self-sacrificing, can also be sentimental, flattering, and people-pleasing. They seek to be loved and appreciated by becoming indispensable to another person. They are well-meaning and devoted to meeting others’ needs. Can be possessive and manipulative, and have many ‘selves’.
TYPE 7 | SREESANTH: Optimistic, extroverted, productive, spontaneous, fun-loving type. Symbolized by Peter Pan, the eternal youth. Sevens are adventurous, with a gourmet approach to life. They have trouble with commitment, want to keep the options open; Generally happy, playful and stimulating to be around, habit of starting things but not seeing them through, they can become over-extended, scattered, and undisciplined and self-serving. They constantly seek new and exciting experiences, and can be impatient and impulsive. Do not let life’s troubles get them; being outspoken and outrageous is part of life. Besides, they are generous and have the guts to take risks and to try exciting adventures.
TYPE 8 | VIRENDER SEHWAG: Eights are self-confident, self reliant, protective, resourceful, straight-forward, and decisive, but can also be ego-centric, bossy, and domineering. Eights believe one must be strong and powerful to assure protection and regard in a tough world. Consequently, they are direct and action-oriented, but can also be overly impulsive, vulnerable and sometimes impulsive and confrontational. Extremely protective, will stick up for self and friends. Open displays of anger and force, great respect for opponents who will stand and fight. Can have problems with their tempers, meets challenges head on; supporting, empowering, and protecting those close and upholding just causes.
TYPE 7/8 | YUVRAJ SINGH: A combination of all the characteristics of Type 7 & Type 8.
TYPE 3/8 | ZAHEER KHAN: A combination of all the characteristics of Type 3 & Type 8.