Udaipur 2: Cricket & Kengo Kuma; leadership & creativity

25 April -- Am writing this post poolside. Got some spare time before the group checks out of Devi Garh this morning. The 2-day stay went pretty much without hitches – roof terrace formal dinner, cricket match against hotel team, treasure hunt, pool party and of course meetings.

Ahhh, this is the life. Got Black Eyed Peas’ “Where is the Love” playing right now as a cool breeze blows. Am sitting under a white canopy, but still baking under the sun. Finally, I just might get a tan.

The highlight from this trip was watching the group of executives, most of whom had never played cricket, play against a team of locals who pretty much grew up playing the sport. It sounds so clichéd, but sport does really build bonds and team spirit. But only if you have a great team captain. I’m always fascinated to watch people lead. There are many different styes of leadership, but in my experience and observataion, a leader is only credible and effective when there is mutual respect among all players. I have worked with this particular group for 3 years now. From an outsider’s point of view, the group works and plays well together. As with all multi-national groups, there is a diverse mixture of cultural backgrounds, personalities and interests. It’s not easy to get all the individual elements to gel and work together, let alone enjoy playing with each other. That this happens is very much a credit to the individuals, but also to the leader; as the leader sets the tone and the expectations. As in sport, managing an all-star team is never easy. Each person must be given an opportunity or area to shine.

That's why it was interesting to watch the cricket match. R, the team captain had to coax, support and encourage his team of players, some enthusiastic, some not so (but it's interesting to watch how the not-so-keen become more involved during the game. I guess when you're put in a situation where you will either win or lose, most people strive to win.), with different levels of cricket skills. In the end, he said, what was most important was that every person got a chance to bat. Sometimes winning the game isn't everything. Which reminds me of the interesting after-dinner discussion the night before on how different cultures viewed negotiations -- which ones always strove for win-win or win-lose. And sometimes, it's not so transparent. Some cultures (Americans were mentioned) think they are striving for win-win, but may be perceived by others as only going for win-lose outcomes. My observation was that Chinese don't really care about whether the outcome is win or lose as long as everyone perceives that they have won (the face factor). But thinking back to Prisoner's Dilemma, it seems like human nature to look out for self interest even though it may not be in one's own best interest.

Speaking of leadership, I got some insight into what it takes to manage the creative process, which in some respects is even more difficult than managing a business process, because there is no absolute predictor or measure of success (profitability). I had a chance to sit-in on reknowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma’s talk on his work and creative process. His work is influenced by the aesthetic principles of Katsura Imperial Palace and architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright (minus the ego). He is innovative in working with unconventional building materials; for example, rice paper (Takayanagi Community Center), bamboo (Great (Bamboo) Wall at The Commune), shape-memory alloy (an installation for Krug Champagne). Kuma-san describes the aim of his buildings as “being able to disappear into the landscape”. And indeed they do. He recounted how one taxi driver, upon arriving at Kitakami Canal Museum said he couldn’t find the building. It is about architect that complements and respects the landscape rather than dominating it. In terms of process, because a lot of his work relies on finding new ways to work with materials, it involves a lot of collaboration and input from craftsmen. He recounted how local builders' first reaction to his idea for the house was that it was impossible. But eventually, with a lot of communication and persistence, Kuma-san was able to convince them that it was possible and persuade them to try. In the end, the project was successfully completed. But there were other instances where possibilities reveal themselves only after discussions with craftsmen more knowledgable about the material's properties.