The photo in the post linked above does not show any obsession with oneself. It is not even self-promotion in any way! It is a young chess champion oozing confidence and clarity of thought with bold, direct and precise positioning of individual priorities!
Even if it is about the self, why not? After all, the Candidates is an event where Super Grandmasters / Grandmasters play to assert their individual prowess and earn the right to challenge the reigning World Champion.
In contrast, in corporate life, we see self-promotion being peddled as a virtue even as leaders tirelessly preach the value of a team culture!
Do businesses subscribe to the idea of a team sport or are they playing a game of individual one-upmanship?
It is self-defeating when it ends up as a game played by people missing out in the individual calibre stakes with a “mediocrity begets mediocrity” syndrome!
Chess by itself is an individual game unlike, for instance, tennis with room for doubles, giving those lacking in singles proficiencies a chance to win some honours! They do get to show skills around coordination in a less-competitive scenario, yet nowhere near the kind of stress and practice singles’ players go through!
Then, there are true team games such as football where all players come together to demonstrate lyrical execution. There may still be a player or two who excel and contribute to the success of a team. There will also be some who will play a self-centric game and drag the team down.
It all boils down to just one question: do businesses and teams want meritocracy or mediocrity? Football or Tennis Singles?
Chess is also played as a team game such as in World Team Championships. When pure talent, cognitive strength and a true team spirit combine to deliver a win strategy for a fail-proof competitive assault, who will dare say no!
G Joslin Vethakumar
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