Leadership is all about having faith in the strengths of colleagues, believes Australia's talismanic captain Pat Cummins, who is busy promoting his new book after being forced out of the Champions Trophy due to an ankle injury.
At the age of 28, Cummins became Australia's 47th Test captain and since then he has led his country to the 50-over World Cup and the World Test Championship triumph apart from retaining the Ashes and regaining the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy just last month.
The 31-year-old, who has 503 international wickets across formats with 294 in Tests alone, donned the hat of an interviewer to speak to 11 achievers-cum-leaders from around the world for his new book Tested: The remarkable power of resolve published by Harper Collins.
Asked about his idea of leadership and to what extent should the captain assert his authority, Cummins told PTI: "The best leaders I've played under always made me feel empowered, brought the best out of myself and made me feel a sense of freedom.
"I think it's important to lean into the individual strengths of each team member rather than trying to make everyone assimilate," the pacer further stated.
While he has a handsome US$2 million-plus contract with IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, whom he captained last year in the cash-rich league, the traditional format remains his No.1 priority.
This despite the fact that more and more cricketers are veering towards a freelance career in T20 leagues.
"I love Test cricket so much so its always been an easy decision to keep that as my number one priority. Especially in Australia, we are lucky to have Test cricket so well-supported."
Cummins also spoke about the respect he has for his fellow speed merchants Indian talisman Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada of South Africa.
"Those two guys (Bumrah and Rabada) are bowlers I enjoy watching and admire. They have been taking wickets consistently for many years and we've had some wonderful contests."
Talking about the book, Cummins also revealed the process he followed while deciding the list of interviewees for his new book.
"I started with a list of people I knew and admired and whose life stories exemplified resilience, leadership and the power of resolve," he said.
"Then, over a number of months, I engaged in conversations with eleven extraordinary individuals, including Indian entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, former Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee."
The book also touches upon decision-making in leadership positions across various walks of life.
"The conversations explore how decision-making and perseverance shape personal and professional journeys.
"Also a unifying quality among these diverse figures is their ability to navigate significant challenges and crises, emerging with profound insights and strength."
"This shared attribute of resilience and the capacity to transform adversity into opportunity connects these individuals, offering valuable lessons on leadership and personal growth," he concluded.
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