Cornerman – Inside out
I first met Dian through a mutual friend a few years back, yet I was quite surprised when Dian asked me to review ‘Cornerman’, him knowing my frank honesty. Thinking through I decided to do something different, making it an unconventional book review devoid of academic scrutiny.
Cornerman: Stories from the life of Dian Gomes was recently launched at BMICH amidst a large gathering of family, friends and colleagues. The book has been compiled by Vidhura Ralapanawe and Shevanthi Fernando. A hard cover coffee table book of 435 pages, priced very reasonably at Rs. 3500/. Proceeds of the sale of this book will be donated to the development fund of the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka, and the Colours of Courage Trust, a charity that works on fund-raising to support infrastructure development and research on cancer.
A ‘corner man’, literally defined, is the man at the corner of the boxing ring who looks after a boxer, cleans his gum-shield, wipes off his blood and ensures the boxer is focused. This book has been appropriately named thus, as Dian has been the cornerman not only for many boxers, but for many men and women he came across from numerous walks of life.
The narrative starts off with an introduction by Dian, stating how an unexpected heart surgery swayed him to pen stories from his life, while also giving a voice to numerous individuals whose lives he impacted. He says “Many treated me as their cornerman in their personal lives. They reminded me how much they valued my contribution to them to become who they are today”.
Everything began at Slimline
One of the two authors Vidhura Ralapanawe says “I was intrigued by the stories that were common parlance at Slimline, the tales that define the company with their metaphors. How Slimline won the 5S award, their journey to win an Olympic medal in boxing or how a worker got up and said that the CEO is our Union leader. They were as good as custom made, with themes of courage, persistence and fellowship. Dian dreamt of great futures for his people. You are a future CEO, and you, a future Finance Director. And true to the nature of the quest, these were hidden from those chosen, to be discovered when they were ready. Dian was the guide, not the oracle.
Spending 15 years of his life at Slimline Dian not only changed the culture and ethos of the garment industry, but also introduced sports and boxing to Slimline and MAS. Dian introduced sports to the MAS culture, adding the spirit of competition that made MAS a breeding ground for excellence. The book also stands as homage to the 100 plus national sportsmen and women who work at MAS Intimates, bringing pride to the company and country.
The Pannala story relates the journey Dian took as a young leader, realising the needs of his workforce, recruiting the best in the industry, and building a fresh perspective and new image around Slimline. This book reveals, through the narratives of hundreds of men and women, how Dian’s leadership style was unorthodox. For Dian professional development and personal development was a key to the success of the company.
Corporate Guru Doug Adams says in the story Analysing Dian Gomes “I cannot easily describe Dian’s leadership style. I have been at this game for 35 years, and I have worked with hundreds of CEOs and business leaders. Dian stands as someone unique”.
One interesting fact this book reveals is the friendship, revelry and business with Ashroff Omar, CEO of Brandix, one of the strongest competitors of MAS. His story encompasses Dian’s loyalty to MAS Holdings and their extended friendship off the ‘competitive field’. Ashroff says “that’s why people tend to get confused by our relationship” (182).
The boxing narrative stands out in the book. Starting off with how Dian began his boxing career, and naturally took on the role of a corner man, the stories weave in length his tireless journey towards an Olympic boxing gold. They highlight his patriotism; one man’s strong belief that “Sri Lanka can”. They give you an insight to the lives of boxers – of Anuruddha Rathnayake, Manju Wanniarachchi and Anusha Kodithuwakku who beyond the blood, sweat and tears, beyond physical injuries and emotional turmoil, and beyond injustice, and beyond defeat, came back to fight another day.
The humane side of Dian is also amply highlighted in some stories. As Doug Adams says Dian “is an interesting and unusual combination of compassion, caring and thoughtfulness when it comes to people and people in need, and the other hand, insensitive, sharp, emotional biased and quick to act (19). His wife Dehara has no story of her own in the book, but I realized that hers was a story in the entire book itself, in every step that Dian had taken, by his side.
There are many things to learn from the ‘Cornerman’. It holds lessons not only in corporate leadership, but in kindness, compassion, encouragement, competition, and above all the courage to fight, to think on your feet and to be resilient. Vidhura and Shevanthi have articulated this book to turn it into a well-written biography. It is a formidable project on a larger than life man. I can only imagine the sleepless nights, the stress and the demand of delivery. Congratulations to you both.Cornerman is not only a book that contains lessons in business, as well as lessons in life. It shows humility, humbleness, and the power behind the drive, and gives a message to every leader, or even an aspiring management trainee, that success comes to those who strive hard for it. This is not a narrative of one person’s dream, but the dreams of many of leaders, managers, of Manjus, Anuruddhas and Anushas. Cornerman is a book that should be read over time and the stories absorbed in the sequence that interests ones passion, dreams and ideologies. This book is a symbolism of Dian’s complexity, and his exceptional style of leadership. Cornereman is not for the fainthearted. It is for those who strive to survive, swim against the current and end up testing the truth.
Dr. Indikâ Bulankulame is a sociologist/socio-cultural anthropologist and writer. Her expertise lies on trauma and recovery. She teaches Cross Cultural Communication at the Open University of Sri Lanka, her current interests lies in life histories and dance movements.