Damien and Sean were two good friends in high school . They made it to university together .

Damien was a sportsman and loved football . He was tall and tough , with tousled hair , aggressive and practical .

Sean had expressive eyes, brilliant ideas and a friendly approach . He was of medium height and neatly attired

During their life in University , Damien shone in sports specially in football . He captained his team and led from the front.

Sean too did well . He was an all rounder. He did well in academics and also took a lot of interest in sports. He followed the latest exploits of the football team .

What are the attributes of good leadership ?

On and off the field !

Damien is a hands on leader . He inspires his team by his aggressive approach ; a never say die attitude even in the face of defeat .His presence on the pitch , gives an impetus to the team for playing at their very best.

What about Sean ?

Sean can strategise for the team . His knowledge of team players helps in the final lineup or to bring on a player as substitute at crucial times of the match . He also is a great motivator .

The half time chats mean a lot to his team when they are trailing the opponents . He can advise, and change tactics with positional play.

His interaction with the seniors on selection or inducting new players goes a long way .

Empathy, and emotional intelligence too goes a long way in understanding the team members . It’s not only about winning but also about dealing with a loss or poor performance.

Do you think one is better than the other ?

We have great examples of team captains becoming managers/coaches later .

Some examples are

Zinidane captained France at the World Cup and now successively manages Real Madrid

Steve Gerard captained England , Liverpool and now manages Team Rangers .

One cannot forget Sir Alex Ferguson who had a long and successful tenure with the ManUnited team. He balanced discipline with love, and team members remember him as a father figure.

On a personal note , I am very impressed with Juergen Klopp with the way he handles his team , Liverpool. You can see his response to victory with such enthusiasm and defeat with maturity.

So dear reader a penny for your thoughts for whom you think offers good leadership

Damien or Sean ?