Pitch It by Dev Prasad is the first product which I have ordered from my brand new smartphone Motorola Moto E. Naturally I was very excited. There is one more reason I was interested in reading Pitch It. The synopsis of the book says it consist of enthralling anecdotes linking top cricketers and corporate moghuls that act as a catalyst for professionals to soar to the top. I was very intrigued by it. That how can one relate cricket with business world and draw management lesson from it. Well after reading the Pitch It my perspective of watching cricket has changed.
Now for me cricket is not just about runs and wickets, victory or defeat it is the way of life. The author has drawn brilliant analogy between cricket and corporate world which is completely mind-blogging. Who says that giving management lessons is a complex task even more difficult is comprehending it. Dev Prasad has showed the way that management lessons could be given through very simple anecdotes from the cricketing world as well.
The book is divided into 10 broad topics like Leadership, Team Building and People Development, Ethics and Value, Execution, Innovation and Change, Know Your Market, Traits for Success, Teamwork, Attitude and Challenges of Success. Under each topic there are various features which he has discussed by giving example from the cricket. Then drawing an analogy with an example from business world and the lesson learned from it.
The one who are cricket buffs like me will be very nostalgic as he writes about many cricket matches we have seen and cherished each moment of it. Then he draws a similar situation or incident from business world.
He has compared many cricket personality with business tycoons like Sachin Tendulkar with JRD Tata for their humility and modesty which is such a key feature of a leader both will be remembered for their down to earth, risk taking ability of MS Dhoni and Wipro’s Azim Premji, continuously re-inventing yourself just like Rahul Dravid and Apple etc. These are just a few but there are many such analogies he has come up with.
The book has been written in the most simplest way. I think that is the beauty of the book. There are no management jargons. Dev Prasad has shown a very unique and innovative way to present the management case studies drawing parallels with cricket with whom we all connects.
Some of the case studies were eye opening like Kumar Mangalam of Aditya Birla group and Mike Brearley cricketer of England team both were unprepared and unaware when the responsibility of leading their respective teams came upon their shoulders. But both of them were quick learners and acted accordingly to survive. Then the traits of diplomacy which both Anil Kumble and Ratan Tata shown during the monkey gate issue and Singur Protest respectively.
But the book has some weak links as well. Sometimes I was not convinced with the analogy between the examples. It just seems that he has forcefully connected two incidents. Most of the stories are known publically. If someone are looking for insider stuff about boardroom or dressing room then that is missing. But how he gives specific messages from examples is noteworthy.
The Verdict
It is a fun management book. Both Cricket buffs and management people will find the book very interesting to read as there will be instant connection. It is difficult to say how inspiring they will be as the author has touched upon the topic and never went into details of describing their significance. But one should read it for its uniqueness.
