1. The biggest challenge is to identify the right talent:
Irrespective of the profession that a leader is in, the biggest challenge for him is to identify the right talent. One has to be very clear about the kind of team he wants, the candidates have to be analysed properly.Once you bring people on-board, you have to give them the opportunity to show and prove their talent.It is the same rule everywhere, even in the corporate world. It is a little tough to pick the right talent for a cricket squad because we have a small pool of some 90-100 players to pick from. As a captain, I gave young players an opportunity to showcase their talent in 8-10 matches. It eases the pressure and the potential candidate is able to play his natural game. The rules of selection might differ from profession to profession, but the crux of the process is the same. One has to be very fair while making the selections. And yes, sometimes a leader has to take chances.

2. You get what you put in:
When I became the captain of the Indian cricket team we had some really talented players on our side. We had Kumble, Tendulkar, Dravid and many such players who had the right talent to win games for India. However, sometimes I wondered why we were considered to be a soft side. Why weren't we winning matches? And then I realized that they were individual talents and the energies of every player needed to be channelized towards one direction. This is what team performance is about. There shouldn't be any dichotomy in what you say in front of an individual or when he is not around.
It is necessary to give your team the atmosphere to perform. If people are comfortable with each other, if they can sort out petty issues among themselves and if they trust each other, they will certainly put their efforts in one direction.The team should know what it has to do. It might be easier to do in a smaller team than bigger teams but then, that is what leadership challenges are all about.

3. Have a mix of youth and experience and give it all the support you can:
One problem that most of the teams face is the resistance of seniors in the team against new members. When I became the captain of Indian cricket team, I was lucky to have senior players such as Tendulkar, Dravid, VVS on my squad. Not only all of these players welcomed the entry of younger players, they went out of their way to groom and support them. This is how it should be. Every team should have the right mix of young blood and more experienced members. The more experienced ones are the best people to guide and help their junior team members. The team leader can ensure that it happens. Biased perceptions before somebody starts delivering results are not the way to go. Results are not about perceptions but about giving the talent the right opportunity to deliver.

4. One shoe doesn't fit all:
During a low phase in my career I saw how ‘my way or highway’ approach can ruin a team. Every team is different and every team member has different strengths and weaknesses. For a leader it is essential to know what his team is like. One rule doesn't apply to every team. Moreover, every individual has a different personality. A rigid approach towards work and more focus on ‘whose way the things are being done’ will lead to unpleasant results. I have realised that the rules are different for everyone. One has to know the psychology of his team members to get the best out of them even in trying conditions.