Mahi “The Multiplier” [Leadership, Teaming and Performances]

“Thanks a lot for your love and support throughout. From 1929 Hrs consider me as retired.” These were the words of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (our “Mahi”) when he announced his retirement from international cricket on 15 August.

The message was simple, straightforward and down to earth. Choice of words were similar to the way Dhoni as personality is “composed and powerful”. There were no special effects or special characters or attempt to create buzz in these words but as to every such composed deed of Mahi in cricket, the reaction of the world on this was gaga, the whole internet was flooded with message of gratitude for Mahi.

As tribute to Mahi for his immense contribution to world of cricket and India, this article is dedicated to him. 

Mahi started his journey in the international cricket with a mark by flashing back to back 150 plus run against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2005. Those initial innings were good enough to prove the worth of Mahi, but the real metal of Mahi came into limelight when his years of leadership (captaincy) started.

His true leadership ensured best ever results for India in cricket and he is the only captain in world who has won all three world cricket trophies (world cup 20-20 in 2007, World cup 50-50 in 2011 and Champions Trophy in 2013) for his country.

We as professionals, have heard a lot about the term “Multiplier” for the leaders. And if we try to understand the real force what Mahi as leader is, then we will realise that,

Mahi is one of those great examples of Leader who is a Multiplier. Mahi is a leader who multiply the capability and performance of everyone around him multi fold. Mahi is that real genius who enhances the intelligence of everyone around him.

What made him this multiplier? What made Mahi extract best from all the players around him? What made Mahi become best Indian captain in cricket ever? And probably the answer is in following 7 (The Magical Mahi number):

1.   Vision and ability to supersize goal for everyone:

After India crashed out of 2007 world cup 50-50 at group stage, Dhoni was made captain of the Indian cricket team and his job was to lead India in very same year (with a gap of just 6 months) in world cup 20-20.

While team was still under vibes of loss of 50-50 world cup, Mahi who had the vision of win, created supersized goal for every player and brought back confidence in everyone that we can still win. And rest all is history that India won 20-20 world cup in very same year in which India had sad performance in 50-50 world cup.

A movie on the life of Mahi also depicts that he presented his next vision and plan of winning 2011, 50-50 world cup in the very same first year of his captaincy in 2007 and India won 2011 world cup as well.

2.   Real Investor:

We all know that an investor is someone who knows that maximum result and return doesn’t come by doing everything himself. An investor creates an environment, in which he first search right talent where he can invest, then fund them with what they need and set an expectation of what he want in return.

Mahi has been real investor in that sense. He will find right talent in every player of the team, then will fund them with a composed environment to perform (we all know his on ground leadership style which is not reacting to every moment of the match/ not buzzing players with every ball) and then he get the maximum out of them.

While he himself is an established finisher of the game but with his investor approach, he created confidence in almost all the players in the team and in his era of captaincy, India probably got maximum players who can be called finisher to get match in favour of India (Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja to name a few).

3.   Challenger:

Mahi was also a challenger who will not challenge his teammates with words instead he will create an atmosphere whereby all players are challenged for their best. This is an art of first seeding an opportunity, kicking off the work in the direction of opportunity and then all coming together with their skillset to go for that challenge.

The real examples of this are many such matches which many a times appeared as if India might lose but then there is moment of seed in the match which many a time were created due to on- ground decisions taken by Mahi, those decisions created the momentum and eventually Indian won those matches.

Last over of world cup 20-20 final in 20007 to medium paced, comparatively new and unknown bowler Joginder Sharma; Promoting himself to batting order in world cup 50-50 final in 2011; Asking Robin Uthappa to bowl in bowl-out instead of established bowlers in 20-20 match against Pakistan in 2007, are some of those historical decisions which challenged the whole team to get results in favour of India.

4.   Helicopter view:

Mahi is famous for his helicopter shot. The flick by which he converts the yorker into sixes. But this helicopter view which is referred here is more powerful than his helicopter shots. Mahi has been that visionary leader who knows when to fly at high altitude and when to come down to see things more clearly at low altitude and when to even get down from that helicopter and be on ground.

He is that strategist who knows perfectly what is to be done when it is about actual on-ground performance (he holds the record of maximum man of the series award) or it is about taking on-field decisions from behind the stumps or from dressing room (he is famous for decisions which surprise many) or at the highest level of strategies at cricket governance levels (his choice of selection of players for all the critical series has done wonders).

He can switch between these different positions seamlessly.

5.   Team over Individuals

This part is coming out of some of controversies which were all over in news in initial years of Mahi’s captaincy. When Mahi become captain, he had a brigade of superstars who have done wonders for Indian cricket.

Mahi took decision of dropping few superstars from matches in 2008. He also took decision of not keeping all superstars together in playing - 11 in a match, instead used them by rotation in 2013 overseas series in Australia. As per a movie on Mahi, an explanation for these decisions was influenced by who fits into conditions and not getting influenced by their superstar status.

While nobody can predict if India would have still won matches with superstars, but history definitely is that India actually won those matches without superstars.

6.   Liberator

Mahi is very famous for his composed style. He is the one who will give space to each player to perform. Irrespective of the situation in match, Mahi don’t overburden players with constant reaction to each delivery of the match, instead he provides a safety net to players.

There are many such examples wherein, a player was not in his form during a particular session of the match, but that player bounced back because Mahi trusted him and provided the safety net.

Mahi liberate the mind of player from thought of risk by providing him the safety net by giving another chance. Mahi has taken those risks many times even though he knew that if something will go wrong, it will fall on his shoulders.

One such great example is Mahi bringing Ishant Sharma back to bowl (who had costly first spell of bowling) against England in a match of champions trophy in 2013. England was cruising to victory and thanks to last over of Ishant, India won that match. Promoting Rohit Sharma as opener in 2012 even though he was having mediocre average till that time in his career and now we know that Rohit is present vice-captain of Indian cricket team

7.   Self-Control

The 7th such characteristic of what makes Mahi a Multiplier is about self-control (i.e. characteristic of not doing few things:

(a) Mahi was an established explosive batsman, batting up the order. But when Mahi become captain, he gradually shifted to middle level to bat because he realised that the while he can score more runs personally batting up the order, but team will win more matches if he will bat in middle order.

He had this self-control of not promoting himself for individual fame and result of that is that India won maximum matches under his leadership.

 (b) Mahi doesn’t waste his energy and stamina in fictitious display.

He prefer to stay composed and this self-control help him conserve energy for right thing and he used it for wicket-keeping throughout the match besides doing all deeds as captain and batting as per conditions of match.

 (c) Mahi never claimed or made efforts to be called perfectionist. Cricket gurus call that he was unorthodox in all sphere whether it is about wicket keeping, batting or even taking decisions. He gave this role of perfectionist to different players and kept the tag of Captain cool with him ??.

His self-control of not going for path of perfectionist made him strategist and multiplier.

We have head term King maker. But Mahi is that genius who we is genius maker. He is the real multiplier who first surprised world with his batting talent, then with his leadership skills, parallelly with his many unorthodox decisions and eventually with all those memorable wins of India and great performances in world cricket of many other players.

Thanks Mahi for everything!

 Note: The qualities of multipliers are from the famous notes and articles of American author Liz Wiseman. The examples for Dhoni are witnessed by whole world including me. And the views and connect Mahi as Multiplier are my personal ??