Our doubts are traitors

I think we can learn a lot about ourselves from the way we perform in sport.

A few years ago, I was given a Cricket game, after a prolonged absence from the sport. I had done well in the nets. The Club Captain, batting in an adjacent net, noticed how I moved my feet, attacked the ball, always hitting in front - no 'nurdling' for me.

I was invited to turn out for the club's Third Eleven. The team captain asked if I could bowl, and I said I could bowl medium fast. He threw me the ball and I delivered two overs in the style I had used in my prime, even though I had been bowling leg breaks in the nets.

Inevitably, my timing was off, and I couldn't find the right length. I was tempted to revert to leg breaks, but I felt obliged to stick with my offer of medium fast. Would the captain object to the switch?

Why didn't I just have a go and see what results it produced?

When it was our turn to bat, I was sent in at number 11. Last man in. From what I had seen of the previous batsmen, I knew I was better than half of them, but now it was up to me to prove it.

The first ball I faced was delivered at about 75 m.p.h., on the leg side, perfect for a 'leg glance' or for a half step forward and an 'on drive' over the head of the fielder at mid on. I did neither.

With feet firmly planted, I drove the ball along the ground, straight to mid on, and set off on a suicidal run. It was an easy run out, so I just carried on past the umpire and back to the pavilion.

Why had I thrown away my wicket? I justified it by saying that I had wanted to return the strike to the other batsman, the man whose eye was in, but the reality was something different. I think I was reluctant to stay in the firing line and be tested.

When I didn't change my bowling, it was because I was trapped by expectations. How often do we stay in our usual roles, keep doing what we've always done, simply because we feel it's what we are expected to do? Why not just take a chance on something different, use a talent we may not have shown before, break free and see what develops?

The batting suicide was about avoiding the risk of exposure. If I had stayed longer at the crease, each ball I faced would have been a challenge and, although I had the skill, my self-confidence was not at the same level.

I see the same thing happening in business, especially with enterprises that find themselves stalled because of the leader's reluctance to commit. Shakespeare got it right when he wrote:

Our doubts are traitors
And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt.

PKP