This piece is dedicated to the countless people in support (the non revenue generating wings) who have passion for only one thing, making sure you win. Personally, I am fortunate enough to meet such wonderful people, who are right mix of being ambitions and selfless. They motivate me. This is my take on why on any given day, I would choose support over operation, that actually generates revenue and are king of the game. Support is not for all and can never be. It requires special mettle and special thought process ....

1. Are You The Jerry Maguire?
Date: 26/06/2013
Author: Naseha Sameen
About: The qualities required for people in support
function. Duration is 2 hours.

2. Are You The Jerry Maguire? July-2012
There are people and then there are support people. People, who make all the difference between
success and defeat, difference between profit and loss between action and preparation are the
support people. People who support you in your decision, who help you to reach the right one and
be your honest mirror, are the ones I refer as support people.
Not everybody is meant to take up this mantle and support is not just anybody’s cup of tea. Only
few can enjoy this role. This is a role of unsung heroes, who have paved the way for the champions.
They live the moments of action in different forms and in different permutations and combinations
long before the real action has begun. If the thought of the captain of the college sports team being
mobbed and you the coach being ignored troubles you, then perhaps you are not fit for this.
Would history have remembered Alexander as “The Great” if Aristotle, not been his guide at the
age of thirteen? Would Helen Keller be a worldwide known face without the patience of Annie
Sullivan? What would have happened if the elders of Kuru army not believed in the cause of and
have not given key strategic support to Pandavas? May be Mahabharat’s ending would have been
different. When the subcontinent bowed its head to the ruler Chandra Gupta Mauraya and
Bindusar, Chanakya was content with the title of chief advisor. It was this support person, who was
the cause of the fall of Nanda Empire and rise of an ordinary son of a royal concubine named Mura
to the royal throne of Magadha.
This role demands you to be a giver. A person who who give his/her hours to groom others, equip
others with right kind of ammunitions needed to win the war. Imagine an army fighting some
centuries ago without the chief scientist inventing new weapons or the physician taking care of the
injured. At the end of the war, these valiant soldiers and commanders who get a hero’s welcome
back in the city. The scientist who created those weapons which gave the soldiers the edge is
perhaps watching the parade unrecognized. There is contentment on his serene face, smile on his
lips and pride in his people’s victory. This is our support person.
Centuries later, the war may have turned into the meeting rooms and the enemy, “difficult to
achieve targets”. It is these support people, who help with all they have to ensure others get the
recognition they needed and deserved.
Let us change our roles from third person to the non-support people and evaluate these support
people. Support people are the only people who would fight you tooth and nail, only to defend you
with their lives when you are back stabbed. When you are with them, they would show you the
worst possible reflection of best picture, so that you are not caught unaware. And when you are
not around, they are the ones, who would put themselves in harm’s way, may be even take blame
that heads your way to protect you, even though you are blissfully unaware of such things. They
would equip you with all possible logics, data or theories to make sure, you are at the top of your
game. You are ready to beat the opponent called target. Believe me such people live and breathe in
this world and I am one of the fortunate ones to have known them. The only thing that matters to
them is an answer to one question, “Did I create a difference and made things better for others?”
It is not easy to be a support person and not everybody can be one. So, what is Jerry Maguire of
Sports Management International (SMI) made up of? A right mix of selflessness and ambition is
basic requirement. Next in the list is endless energy to push oneself beyond one’s limit. One who is
unabashed to take a step back and aggressive enough to push on the accelerator pedal is a support
person. They are the ones who would put your requirement and you convenience before their own.
Are you one of them? Let’s quickly find out with five quick questions.
1. Does someone’s success automatically bring smile and happiness to your heart?
2. Would you help others or yourself if it is not a matter of life and death but some discomfort?
3. Are you satisfied and happy with the knowledge that your work has helped someone achieve
greater heights?
4. Does your heart bleed when you know you can make a difference and for some reason you are
not doing so?
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3. Are You The Jerry Maguire? July-2012
5. Rather than as someone who was successful would you rather be remembered as someone who
made a difference?
If any of questions leads to answer of “No”, then you are no support person. Do yourself and
everybody around you a favor, never ever get into a support role. If you crave to be a king, be a king
even if it means a king of a small empire. Do not settle for the role of a prime minister, if you want
to see crown on your head. And if you are the one who would rather crown somebody, you know
you are the person, we are talking about.
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ask@sevensolutions.in | www.sevensolutions.in | +91 9810 77 5457