Leadership Lessons from MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni, one of the most successful Indian cricket captains of the modern era, one of the greatest finishers ever to play the game of cricket, and an exemplary role model for grace, confidence, and humility, has announced his retirement from international matches. In a country where a billion hearts beat in unison whenever India plays a game, the role of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in making the game more popular — and how he played his game — offers invaluable leadership lessons to managers at all levels.

MS Dhoni, India's most successful cricket captain, is well on his way to being regarded as one of the greatest leaders the cricket game has ever seen. It is a testimony that success comes to anyone with talent, who is disciplined and willing to work hard. His life as a successful leader offers the following invaluable lessons to managers at all levels.

Lesson 1: Grab Your Opportunities

Dhoni was made the leader of the Indian team, which participated in the inaugural T20 world cup, barely two years after coming to the side. This opportunity came about as several senior Indian cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Zaheer Khan, decided to skip the world cup after a long and tiring tour of England. Dhoni led one of the youngest and most inexperienced teams that went into any World Cup when 20-over cricket seen as a new, frivolous format. To be elevated to the leadership role, Dhoni must have impressed senior players and administrators with his work ethic and how he conducted himself as a team member.

In the corporate world, one has to perform and always conduct himself as a selfless member of the team, committed to the team and organizational goals to be a successful leader. Like the opportunity that Dhoni got to be a leader, numerous opportunities will present itself — but only for the real performers. Like Dhoni, in the corporate world too, one has to keep learning, build trusting relationships in the team, and keep performing and be ready to take over when the opportunity comes. It is not seniority or hierarchy that matters these days, but the potential you show and the preparedness you have to grab opportunities that come your way.

Lesson 2: Focus on Results

Dhoni, the player, and leader could insulate himself from the boisterous environment and intensely focus on the results at hand. Unlike many other players affected by off-field controversies and fears, Dhoni was never distracted in any way. He had far fewer controversies as captain of the Indian cricket team. With numerous experts and media bombarding him with advice and suggestions, he did not let any of them divert him. He always gave the impression of a man in control, someone who had amazing clarity on the job at hand and the process to achieve the goals using the players and conditions at his disposal.

In a corporate context, it is also vital for leaders to be successful when concentrating on the task at hand and avoid distractions and negative energies at play at the workplace. Having your head down, focusing on the plans and organizational goals, and insulating oneself from the distractions in the office and marketplace is key to success. Such focus means you are setting up stretch goals for the team and finishing the process of achieving them without being distracted. The ability to concentrate and be in a mental phase were you filter out the noise around you is a skill one develops by having a laser focus for the purpose/goals one has.

Lesson 3: Back Your People

Through his playing years, Dhoni was a team man and someone who backed the strengths of the players he had. He asked them to play to their strengths and supported them when they executed the plans. A man of the process, he had a plan and worked with the team to formulate the strategies, guide the inexperienced players, and even support them when they did not do well despite following the process. The rewards for backing your people was evident in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when Dhoni extracted the very best from several players. No wonder that some of the players who donned the Chennai Super Kings jersey performed above general expectations and even went to represent India. Players blossomed under Dhoni, a leader who trusted them, backed their strengths, and improved their ability to contribute to the team goals. When supported by a true leader, team members take responsibility and perform best in difficult times as they can express themselves without the fear of failure.

Similarly, in an organization, you are lucky to get a manager who backs your strength and allows you to express yourself without fear of failure. Such leaders know your skills well enough, trust them, and give you the confidence to go and get things done. That confidence that your leader is behind you to have your back takes a big load off of team members' minds. Are you a leader that your team trusts to support them in any situation? At the workplace, team members reciprocate and feel a sense of responsibility based on their leaders' trust. If you have your team's back, your team will do anything to get you the results that you want to achieve for the organization. The best leaders are actively involved in selecting the squad, intimately know their team's strengths, and are not afraid to unleash their team's full force in their quest for excellence.

Lesson 4: Be Fearless

Whatever is the match situation, Dhoni — the Captain Cool — portrays a calm exterior while having his sights set solely on winning the game. This coolness rubs off on the team and ensures that it soothes the team members' nerves and focuses on defeating the opponents. No wonder India has consistently won a lot of games under him, as he was never premature to celebrate or mentally lose a game from a winning position. He was able to keep his control over his emotions, which is a massive lesson to any aspiring leader. At a crucial time during the 50-over 2011 World Cup finals, Dhoni batted ahead as he believed the match situation warranted it. If the move had backfired, he would have gone on trial before a billion disappointed fans. When you lead from the front, you fearlessly trust your instincts and take risks without being worried about them.

For managers and leaders, watching Dhoni in action is a masterclass in managing stressful work environments. Going through the trials and challenges of the business world without losing your composure is a trait that many leaders struggle with that directly impacts their success and personal well-being. The lesson for leaders and managers is not to never fail, but not to fear failure. A real leader might have failed many times, but still wouldn't let the fear of failure stop them from putting in their best effort. Being cool and composed even as you face challenges sends a message to your team that you are prepared to face any problem with confidence and learn from occasional failures. How you react to your fears and failures is what differentiates you and helps you stand apart as a tall leader.

Lesson 5: Share Credits

The celebrations of the many victories and even the World Cup victories do not have Dhoni at the forefront. Once the customary interview of the successful skipper is over, Dhoni recedes to the background and is content not to be the centre of attention. Most times, once he accepts the winner's trophy, it is quickly handed over to the team, the newest member of the team is left holding it for the team picture. India's famous 50-over World cup victory showed a Dhoni walking behind some of the most enthusiastic players and a happy Sachin Tendulkar and other senior members of the team. Dhoni always stays away from the limelight in victory but is not afraid to take responsibility when the team falters. Dhoni ever had his room door open at any hour when he was a player and also a captain showing his sharing nature.

In today's corporate world, how many managers and leaders get to be in the limelight when things go well but point fingers as soon as the ball drop? A true leader shoulders more blame on behalf of the team and shares more credit with the team. This approach gains the team's respect and creates a team that is willing to go the extra mile with you and be more engaged in organizational goals. If there is a real leadership measure, this is the litmus test of how successful a leader will be in the long run. It shows humility and the leader's responsibility for the goals set in the first place. Can managers and leaders be more open to sharing their successes with the team making them part of the success and give them credits liberally? Can they take responsibility when things go wrong? Sharing credits liberally will create a strong team culture where each team member expresses themselves most authentically in the pursuit of the team goals.  

Lesson 6: Be an Expert

Dhoni is acknowledged by everyone -past players, commentators, experts, and the public- as the captain and the player with the best understanding of the game and assessing a match situation. This acceptance was possible through the expertise Dhoni built through years of experience and his analytical approach. Such in-depth knowledge and a brain wired for the game resulted in him having clear plans and strategies for all match situations. This knowledge and the confidence he had in his abilities provided the team confidence and assurance. Often, this was evident from how Dhoni plotted the 'exit' of many brilliant batsmen by executing specific plans. The way several bowlers depended heavily on Dhoni's advice and counsel and commentators spoke highly of his field-placing strategies shows his extensive knowledge of the game, built through careful study and observations. The more knowledgeable and expert you become, the more the ability you have to use your gut instinct. Dhoni was one player who effectively used a combination of his intellect and instincts to the fullest advantage of Team India.

In the corporate world too, when you lead a team, you need to accepted and respected as an expert and have broad and deep expertise in the field you are leading. As a leader, you are expected to know of the competitive landscape and external threats and opportunities in your business area. Building such expertise and perspectives will require the manager to keep learning and having an open and analytical bend of mind. Continuously developing your knowledge will give you the ability to read a situation, understand motives, and open up new and exciting ways of getting your job done. A leader has to be a quick learner to become an expert and continue to stay ahead from the rest of the crowd.

Lesson 7: Have a Succession Plan

Arguably, one of the smoothest transitions in leadership was the handing over the mantle from Dhoni, the skipper, to Virat Kohli. This augurs well for the continued success of Team India, and Dhoni has to be credited for grooming not only Virat but many others into leadership roles. During Dhoni's captaincy, there was a leader for every aspect of the game in the internal team meetings — he constructed the team with leaders. Many players took responsibility for the batting, bowling, and fielding leaders for match preparation and more focused and goal-driven training. No wonder that Team India has in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma two outstanding leaders and many more potential leaders like Ajinkya Rahane and Hardik Pandya. A great leader, Dhoni prioritized succession planning and was not afraid to mentor and developed future leaders.

Far too many leaders and managers overlook the responsibility of developing others in their teams to lead in the future. It is true that for you to grow in an organization, you need to build people around you consciously. If you are great at doing what you do, you unconsciously develop people around you, and as you stretch and expand the capabilities and opportunities, your team will be more involved and will not leave you. Great leaders have a coaching mentality that encourages employees to learn and grow continually. What steps can you take to nurture the people you lead is a question that all leaders and managers should ask themselves.

Thanks to MS Dhoni, the leader, Indian cricket, is in safe hands with Virat Kohli, another outstanding captain with a very different leadership style. Virat has learned a lot about handling the Indian captaincy from master Dhoni himself and credits MS Dhoni for his transformation. In the message that Virat tweeted as a response to Dhoni's retirement announcement, he mentions that Dhoni will always be "His Captain." Fans of Chennai Super Kings and the IPL are fortunate to continue to see Captain Dhoni in action. Dhoni will transform a set of eleven individual players into one team, deliver excellent performance with them, and contribute above and beyond what they imagined. May Dhoni continue to inspire us to be better leaders in our respective areas for several years to come.