India's Sanju Samson scoring the winning runs during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and West Indies, at the Eden Gardens, in Kolkata, on Sunday on March 1, 2026. | Photo Credit: Joan Mathew Jacob _12089

The meeting was in the service workshop, just across from my office. It had begun early because I could hear voices as I walked in. A few minutes later, the decibels rose and I could hear arguments, loud and angry. It was not the decorous atmosphere one wanted. I strode across to the room and surveyed Kurukshetra from the doorway. The Regional Sales Manager and Service Manager and their team members were thrashing out a crisis – a terribly unhappy customer who had recently procured a large high-value equipment. It was clearly a blame-game at its height. Even as I wondered if I should intervene, a young sales engineer spoke up. ‘Sir, the sales and service teams cannot live without each other. And we must resolve this issue between us, amongst us. It will not work otherwise. Aap chale jaayiye sir. We will keep our volume low.’

It is incidental that the teams did amicably sort the issue out and worked together to recover the situation. What I remember 32 years later is that even as the Regional Managers were nonplussed by my appearance, their young colleague had taken charge of the situation. Not only was he telling me that they could sort things out but gave the others a message that they needed to work together.

Let me now hop across to 15 years later, this time to the social sector for examples of initiative and wisdom from colleagues who, though not designated leaders, yet demonstrated the attribute of leadership in the most natural manner. Our Foundation had announced the start of an ambitious program, for government schools across several districts in the country. The launch meant, explaining the objectives, contours, and processes of that program to a large audience of teachers for which their complete understanding of the program was critical. At one of these district launches, a colleague went to the podium to do this. To our consternation he made some critical errors in conveying the key parameters and conditions.Sitting at the dais, we knew this could be disastrous.

At this point, another colleague raised his hand. Quietly he told us, ‘Main sambhal loonga.” (I will manage this). He went up to the podium and before introducing the next speaker, announced: “My colleague has just given you a detailed description of the program. It is difficult to remember all the points. To make it easier for you, I will once again repeat the key parameters and conditions pertaining to the program.” And he then proceeded to state all these correctly. I observed with admiration, the presence of mind with which he resolved the crisis. He protected his colleague while at the same time ensuring that the audience did not go away with incorrect information.

Thousands of miles south, the Foundation had to get on board hundreds of volunteers for a short-term but time bound field project. As the leader and his team went from one district headquarters to another, the numbers were hardly meeting the requirements. The team leader felt that the project would have to be postponed but being a school-based assignment, the delay would mean pushing to the next term. At which stage, the youngest and most irrepressible member flipped the recruitment approach on its head. “Why don’t we go to Taluk/ Block headquarters; we will be closer to candidates and that makes it easier for them to attend. For us, it will mean many days on the road but I volunteer and I am sure others will.” The suggestion proved magical.

Back I go in time again to my days in the corporate sector, for another example of leadership from people who are not designated leaders. But it is a story about a tragedy. A colleague in one of our offices sadly fell to his death from the high-rise building. The CEO and those colleagues present were so shell shocked and distraught that they were in no position to meet the parents and offer them support at the time of their greatest tragedy. However, as the parents arrived, two of our colleagues peeled away from the group and rushed to the parents. One of them held the mother tight, the other held the father tight. Both as though they would never let them go. Over the next two days they never left the side of the parents. Who were these two colleagues? One was a person from the order-processing department while the other was a scientist, who was usually more comfortable interacting with life science research equipment. Where and how did they summon the courage that even the CEO could not muster?

Ah, it is World Cup time and my readers know that I usually bring in some anecdote or the other from sports and elite athletes. In 2018, India under Virat Kohli were playing a T20 series in Australia. In one of those games, Ravindra Jadeja while batting, suffered a blow to his head. He passed the concussion tests and stayed to hit some useful runs. When India was about to go out to field, Sanju Samson, then a junior member on the fringes of the team, took courage in his hands to go up to the fielding coach Sridhar with a suggestion. The essence of Samson’s bold suggestion was: The pitch favours wrist spinners. We do not have one. But Jaddu has been hit on the head. Why not send Yuzuvendra Chahal as the concussion substitute and that gives us four overs of leg spin. Sridhar took that to head coach Ravi Shastri, who grabbed it. Chahal spun India to victory. What was that act of Samson if not one of leadership.

The heroes of this essay did not go on to lead large organisations or divisions. Their career paths were not remarkable. Sanju Samson, for many years, was not sure of a place in the Indian team (that should change after his heroic knock against West Indies). Yet, in moments of crisis, each of our heroes exhibited leadership, courage and wisdom. They did not carry formal titles or designated authority but did what came naturally to them and what was needed in those circumstances. The point is that leadership exists and is demonstrated by many people without titles. If we are fortunate, we get to see such people in action and observe how they enrich the organisations they work with.

(S Giridhar is one of the earliest members of Azim Premji Foundation.)

Published on March 3, 2026