Ed Smith

Cricketer, journalist and author of: Playing Hard Ball, On and Off the Field, What Sport Tells Us About Life will be visiting my school on Friday 28 September 2012 Graduating from Cambridge with a double first in History, Ed was the youngest Cambridge undergraduate ever to score a century on his first class debut and went on to play cricket professionally for 13 years. He has written three books and produced Inside Sport, his first documentary for BBC1 television. He has also written for various leading publications, including The Daily Telegraph, The Times (as a leader and features writer), The Spectator and GQ.

Time on the ball

Any sports fan will testify that a world class athlete in his/her pomp is a delight to behold. Ed Smith reflects that the one thing he wanted as a professional cricketer was more time (not years in the game but) he talks about what Pele could make stand still, what Cesc Fabregas has oodles of, what Roger Federer embodies and endorses. The likes of Federer look as if they have all the time in the world to weigh up their next move. They evaluate the field of play in an instant, consider their options and select from their fully honed repertoire precisely how they are going to optimise the impact of what they choose to do next. These people give confidence to the players around them, they create opportunities, they draw pressure away from others and they dictate how the game is going to be played. They are masters of their craft - they are in control. So what is it that that makes these sportspeople so special? One factor is that they have "time on the ball". These principles also apply to leaders and to the organisations that they run. Inspirational leaders, too, have "time on the ball". They are able to take the pressure, give confidence to those around them, create opportunities for their team, and read and control the game. These are leadership qualities to which we should aspire. Even when teaching, when I’m out of form and run down, every lesson seems to arrive before I am quite ready, there’s never enough time, just a fluster of objectives and activities often out of sync. Yet, when things are going well, with all extraneous thoughts gone, it’s much easier to be in a lesson, listen to the students and react to them. The clock is with me, not against me. Smith argues that it is anxiety that makes us feel hurried and rushes us. Federer et al are not always in the thick of the action - often unseen, they work hard off the ball, and never forget that their true role is to run the game and create space for others. Watch Federer again, it’s not only what he does, it’s what he doesn’t do. The head and shoulders always relaxed ready to change direction, never committed to a path he can’t change; it’s not scampering faster that gives Federer time, it’s avoiding committing too early to bad positions…The mastery of time is about maintaining options. Great leaders have time for people at every level of their organisation. Realising that their staff are the most valuable resource, they give of their time - they make people feel special and valued. They have "time on the ball". "Time on the ball" comes from a clear vision and a confidence in dealing with the challenge ahead. It takes real confidence to take a second longer than those around us, to wait for the perfect opportunity, not to rush to leave a mark. Too often we rush to decide whether we’re for or against something before we even know what it is. A little more Federer please…

Auditions

Agonies of indecision. We have moved the parts around, thought long and hard about the chemistry, tried to be fair, tried not to upset.The cast list goes up tomorrow...

And it starts...

Term has started with a bang! Two UVI Prefects took the initiative to wake up the boarders on the first morning of term to the sound of pipes! There were many smiles and some good laughs: a new and creative way to wake up the boys from the depths of their summer slumber, I feel! One of the these Pied pipers has kindly agreed to pipe at my wedding later this year. I am always amazed that I forget just how busy the school day (and night!) is. As well as sucking up my energy, though, it energises me. It is working with and for others that drives, energises and enthuses me. Conversely, the biggest frustration is when we squander that opportunity through apathy or, worse, cynicism. Investing in opportunities to actively participate ensure the focus of our lives is less on the superficial and passive. No matter the task, our depth of involvement will largely determine our depth of satisfaction: involvement fires the spirit and even the essential quality of compassion. My call to action, though, comes with one crucial caveat. I am not a believer in thrills without skills. The feelings gained by gulping down such off-the-shelf experiences are too often trivial. I often tell me students that it is far better to build healthy relationships in which our increasing knowledge of a place, skill, person – or even ourselves – provides an evergreen source of satisfaction. The reason being that there is quite a sense of progress to be had from knowing better than buying bigger.