By Simbo Olorunfemi
Politics is a team game. A healthy regard for the team is essential. Taking the team interest into consideration is important. Knowing how to accommodate one’s self interest within the fabric of team interest is a skill one must play by.
Two weeks ago, it was the German Grand Prix, home race for Sebastian Vettel who is in a tight race for the championship with my guy, Lewis Hamilton.
Everything was in Vettel’s favour, ahead of the race. He was 8 points ahead in overall rankings and sat on pole for the main race. On the other hand, Hamilton who had a disastrous qualifiers with the car packing up, had to start from 14th position on the grid. His job was simply to minimise the damage already done, a tall order that is. Vettel was set to extend the lead by many points.
All was going to plan for Vettel, even if Hamilton drove from the back like a man on a mission, gaining places. Vettel was comfortable up front. Had a change of tyres that left his team-mate, Kimi Raikonnen, who was on a different strategy, ahead of him, which should not be a problem. It was only for the moment. The team had a strategy they were working on.
But Vettel was impatient, he would not have it. He started to grumble, deploying a not-too-polite language to query why Raikkonen had to be left ahead of him. He was not under pressure. But desperately only focused on himself, he forgot this was about the team.
Under pressure, the team instructed his not-too-impressed team-mate to let him pass. Then, life. Only three laps later, 15 laps to the end of the race, the man who was not content with being second for only a short while, insisting on going ahead, crashed his car into the wall. Desperate to win, he lost his head.
Consumed by the desperation to win that very moment, he lost sight of the long-term, the team interest, his team-mate and the big picture.He disrespected the team. He had to come first. But with the rain, his rival, Hamilton miraculously came from the 14th position to win the race. From being 8 points ahead, Vettel left Germany 17 points behind.
At the end of the season, he might look back and realise that was the decisive moment he handed the title to his rival, Lewis Hamilton (I pray!) ‘Small mistake, big disappointment’, he said.
But that is life. So is it with politics too. One moment of impatience, eternal regret, it might be. One moment of treachery or greed might result in an own goal.
It is about knowing the moment to move and that to hold back. Many times, you have to die to self, die to today to make it tomorrow.
Only a few years back, one man chose to disregard the team interest and the carefully thought-out team strategy to ensure geo-political balance in the leadership structure. He chose self over the team. He had to come first. Wonder if, looking back some day, he would not think that was not the smartest decision he ever took.
This is not even about morality. It is about life and politics. It is about dying to self for the sake of the team which can only lead, at the end of the day, to winning. What is the point of coming first today and losing the championship (the bigger prize) at the end of the day? Not all wins are worth it, in terms of the big picture.
It is not always about coming first.
Sometimes, it is not all about winning. Insistence on winning, at all costs, can backfire in ways beyond one can ever contemplate.
It is not always about coming first.
One can win without necessarily coming first.There are other ways to Winning than Coming First
by Simbo Olorunfemi
Politics is a team game. A healthy regard for the team is essential. Taking the team interest into consideration is important. Knowing how to accommodate one’s self interest within the fabric of team interest is a skill one must play by.
Two weeks ago, it was the German Grand Prix, home race for Sebastian Vettel who is in a tight race for the championship with my guy, Lewis Hamilton.
Everything was in Vettel’s favour, ahead of the race. He was 8 points ahead in overall rankings and sat on pole for the main race. On the other hand, Hamilton who had a disastrous qualifiers with the car packing up, had to start from 14th position on the grid. His job was simply to minimise the damage already done, a tall order that is. Vettel was set to extend the lead by many points.
All was going to plan for Vettel, even if Hamilton drove from the back like a man on a mission, gaining places. Vettel was comfortable up front. Had a change of tyres that left his team-mate, Kimi Raikonnen, who was on a different strategy, ahead of him, which should not be a problem. It was only for the moment. The team had a strategy they were working on.
But Vettel was impatient, he would not have it. He started to grumble, deploying a not-too-polite language to query why Raikkonen had to be left ahead of him. He was not under pressure. But desperately only focused on himself, he forgot this was about the team.
Under pressure, the team instructed his not-too-impressed team-mate to let him pass. Then, life. Only three laps later, 15 laps to the end of the race, the man who was not content with being second for only a short while, insisting on going ahead, crashed his car into the wall. Desperate to win, he lost his head.
Consumed by the desperation to win that very moment, he lost sight of the long-term, the team interest, his team-mate and the big picture.He disrespected the team. He had to come first. But with the rain, his rival, Hamilton miraculously came from the 14th position to win the race. From being 8 points ahead, Vettel left Germany 17 points behind.
At the end of the season, he might look back and realise that was the decisive moment he handed the title to his rival, Lewis Hamilton (I pray!) ‘Small mistake, big disappointment’, he said.
But that is life. So is it with politics too. One moment of impatience, eternal regret, it might be. One moment of treachery or greed might result in an own goal.
It is about knowing the moment to move and that to hold back. Many times, you have to die to self, die to today to make it tomorrow.
Only a few years back, one man chose to disregard the team interest and the carefully thought-out team strategy to ensure geo-political balance in the leadership structure. He chose self over the team. He had to come first. Wonder if, looking back some day, he would not think that was not the smartest decision he ever took.
This is not even about morality. It is about life and politics. It is about dying to self for the sake of the team which can only lead, at the end of the day, to winning. What is the point of coming first today and losing the championship (the bigger prize) at the end of the day? Not all wins are worth it, in terms of the big picture.
It is not always about coming first.
Sometimes, it is not all about winning. Insistence on winning, at all costs, can backfire in ways beyond one can ever contemplate.
It is not always about coming first.
One can win without necessarily coming first.
Simbo Olorunfemi a journalist writes from Lagos.