The game of life has many twists and turns, some controversial enough to gain global attention such as the current Ashes cricket test series between England v Australia.

The urn of ashes from burnt stumps/wickets in 1882, has once again been stirred, a reasonably frequent occurrence in the history of these encounters.

Some would say that one should always follow the rules.

Some would argue that rules are made to be broken.

All would agree that sporting events create cultural traditions and that at the heart of these is the spirit in which the rules are applied.

Is it not a ‘spirit’ which brings to life and then sustains it? Remove the spirit and you are left with a blandness, devoid of human serendipity.

The reason for the Ashes stirring was due to one of the most difficult choices confronting leaders.

I am referring to the choice a leader has when faced to do things right versus doing the right thing, as in the Carey vs Bairstow batting incident.

Leadership thinking is that they would do the right thing while management thinking is to do what is right.

Will your values be swayed by the context of the situation, or will the context sway what you value? You have probably played it both ways in the past.

I would lean towards being guided by the spirit of the game as this intangible facet is fundamental to emotion. People are drawn emotionally to things, which compound over time, giving the Ashes its unique richness and flavour. This is what attracts!

Always abiding and sticking to the rules at the expense of all else will denude the heart of its most valuable asset. Try functioning when it’s dysfunctional.

Black and white can become grey – captains of teams and industry must ensure grey does not become the order of the day.

Thankfully if we are willing, we can learn to manage whatever the outcome. Providing we keep it alive by doing it in the spirit of the game.

I am the author of Leading Self and Others (how to make a difference where you are with what you’ve got) and Teaming with ideas (life lessons in teams- from business, sport and parkrun). You can contact me here.