Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team across all formats. She’ll continue to play for India… just without the responsibility of leading the side.
I loved the last line of Harmanpreet’s resignation announcement:
“Captaincy ends. The journey continues.”
I think there’s a lot packed into those five words.
Over the years, I’ve seen people become so closely associated with their roles that the two almost become inseparable. CEO. Founder. Managing Director. Coach. Captain. We start with a role… and somewhere along the way, the role starts defining us.
Then one day, the role changes… through a promotion, a new assignment, retirement, a career move, or simply because someone else takes over.
And suddenly, we have to figure out who we are without the title we’ve carried for years.
That’s why I like what Harmanpreet said.
She hasn’t stopped being a cricketer. She hasn’t stopped being a leader. She has simply stopped being the captain. And she has chosen to continue doing what she loves… playing the game.
I think there’s a useful reminder here for all of us…
Our role is only one part of who we are.
The title can change. The responsibilities can change. The person sitting in the chair can change.
But the experience we’ve gathered, the relationships we’ve built, the mistakes we’ve made, the lessons we’ve learnt… and the person we’ve become through all of it… stays with us.
And that’s worth remembering when a role we’ve been identified with for years comes to an end.
The title may change. The person you’ve become doesn’t.
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