Written by Tonight, Australia gathered or tuned in to farewell cricketer and sporting icon, Shane Warne. The Melbourne Cricket Grounds (MCG), where Warney was most celebrated, hosted the momentous event which featured politicians and celebrities and was broadcast live across Australia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and the UK – all places where Warne left his mark and inspired fans.
The question of course, how is it possible to gain such fame, such adoration, as a sport star. Such is the cult following that ensues from becoming representative of your country and the embodiment of nationalistic pride.
This is a situation that can easily corrupt rising stars of the sport fields and stadiums. How is it possible to command such adulation and devotion and remain level-headed and humble? The quality of the coach, as much as the personality of the athlete, will be the defining difference between the steady, unpretentious sporting hero, and the narcissist.
Humility is not a leadership strategy, it is a key personality characteristic, but the caring coach who is wise enough to foresee the future will influence his charges in a manner that enables them to ‘keep their heads’. It’s not an easy thing to instil in someone else, we wage war in ourselves all the time – how to build confidence without arrogance. But having the humility, and courage, to admit failure and recognise shortcomings is what inspires us to make necessary changes, to grow.
Modern sports psychology has determined that the humble coach is much more gifted at achieving positive intrapersonal dynamics and is able to easily imbue an attitude of openness to new information and advice while remaining free from a distorted or inflated view of themselves.
As we listen to the epitaphs delivered tonight paying tribute to our latest felled giant, we can see the difference between pride and ego. Tonight, we are made privy to the many examples of a greatly revered sporting hero who through all his victories and fame was able to remain such a positive presence in so many lives.
He was described by his father, Keith Warne as “… leading with infectious energy, his giving and that beaming smile. He somehow could always manage to make someone’s day that little bit better …. He was a person who made everybody feel very special. He was always about putting smiles on other people’s faces.”