LEADERSHIP

QUALITIES OF
CRICKET ICONS
By – Shubham kumar patra
Leadership Lessons from Indian cricket icon, MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni, India’s most successful cricket captain is well on his way to be regarded as one of the greatest leaders the game has seen. In
the past, people have attributed his success to luck, timing, good fortune and the likes. But on closer analysis of his success, we see a
clear pattern emerging. Dhoni’s leadership style offers invaluable lessons to managers at all levels.

Uninhibited style
Hailing from a humble background, Dhoni never let this aspect hinder his style or behavior. In fact, he managed to channelise this raw
rustic energy to his brutal on-field performances. He was never shy of expressing himself in any given situation. In a competitive corporate
world, you are often judged by your past or stereotyped and it is important to maintain a positive ego at all times.

Managing egos
In a hierarchy led environment, Dhoni was catapulted to captaincy ahead of several established players in a team laden with stars and
former captains. He took his time and didn’t interfere in their proven methods and managed to extract the best out of these stars at most
times without ruffling feathers. Many young managers who inherit legacy organisations face this challenge at the workplace.

Change management
Dhoni did not rush through with change in personnel and team culture. He first established his credibility and over time dealt with this issue
and managed the transition through the process of natural attrition and performance management. Most CEOs confronted with change
management issues at the workplace will do well to take a leaf out of MSD’s book and not take the ‘bull in a china shop’ approach while
dealing with change.
Managing success
Dhoni dealt with his early success with a lot of maturity with his feet firmly on the ground, which eventually led to his elevation. It requires
great degree of level headedness and humility to handle fame and money at an early age. In a corporate context, early success need not
lead to brash behavior towards colleagues and customers. We have seen that, at times, young managers who see success early lose their
balance and face early career burnouts.

Managing pressure
Ability to stay calm and keep his cool with a seemingly uncluttered mind is Dhoni’s greatest gift as a leader. This soothes the nerves of the
rest of the team and ensures that they stay focused and continue to believe in themselves. Dhoni is a lesson for all leaders in terms of their
ability to manage extremely stressful work environments. Managing periods of high stress without losing your composure is the key to
long term success and good health
.
Focus
Dhoni has immense ability to insulate himself from the surrounding environment and continue to focus on the job. The current Champions
Trophy campaign is a case in point in the wake of the IPL controversy. In a corporate context, it is vital for managers to stay positive and
focus on the task at hand and avoid distractions and negative energies in play at the work place.

Instinct
Many times managers lose sight of the ‘gut factor’ in decision making when confronted with data. Dhoni has often followed his instinct and
on most occasions has been proved right. While data would have dictated that he chose Umesh Yadav to bowl one moreover, he chose
Ishant Sharma for the crucial over which turned the match for India.

Managing failure
After the heady success of the World Cup 2011, it was just downhill for Dhoni and his team. After a string of embarrassing losses, it
required great character and attitude to bounce back. He did this in style and answered all his critics with the sheer weight of his
performance once again. At the workplace, failure has to be dealt with the same fashion as success and one has to continue to be focused
on the job at hand.
Invokes respect in the opposition
By his mere presence, calmness and body language Dhoni invokes great respect and fear in the opposition camp. In a work
environment, it takes a great deal to be respected by competition who would be itching to have you on the other side of the fence.
This comes through sheer performance and acknowledgement from your internal and external stakeholders.

Backs his people

He places immense trust on his people and backs them to deliver. This allows them to express themselves freely without the fear of
failure. At the workplace, team members reciprocate and feel a sense of responsibility basis the trust shown by their leaders on them.

Versatile
Dhoni is hands on, is versatile and can adapt to any situation. He plays all the three formats of the game, can bat in any position, keep
wickets and can roll his arm over if required. Versatility and adaptability is the key for long term success for executives.
As a leader Dhoni is aware that the spotlight is on him but he never hogs the limelight. He keeps a check on his emotions all the time
both in victory and defeat. He still has lot of cricket left in him and perhaps, for us, there are more lessons to learn from him!
Leadership lessons from Sourav Ganguly

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.