The ultimate outsider of Indian cricket is also the ultimate insider.

MSD had seen a dream, which many feared to see. The Person who has inspired billion Indians.

We can not tell from Dhoni's quiet demeanour in high school that he was the best sportsman around. He hardly watched cricket on TV. He didn't sleep with a bat beside him, didn't want to emulate anyone

In a way, Dhoni has outgrown Ranchi. The only thing he does freely there now is ride one of his 17 Yamaha 350Ds, anonymous under a helmet, with a sling bag carrying his licensed gun. The story of Mahendra Singh Dhoni is nothing short of a fairy tale.

It's about an ordinary man who went on to do extraordinary things owing to his sheer grit and passion for the game.?

You don't need to be a cricket fan to take stock of his leadership skills. His rare quality of extracting benefits from criticism made India win matches and he won the hearts of millions of people. Managers and entrepreneurs can learn much from him and then apply it to real-life situations.

Few Interesting facts about Dhoni on Leadership and Psychology :

• During one match India was chasing, Dhoni told Chappell that if he could see out the first 13 balls, he would win."I don't know how he came to that number," Chappell recalls, "And I didn't ask him. But he had the air of a man who knew he could do the job."
• When food is ordered in his hotel room, Dhoni makes sure everybody orders only a first round. No food should be wasted. It is a commando thing: they have to often make do with little at their posts. Surely there is an analogy here about having to make do with India's thin bowling resources?
• Dhoni has been obsessed with keeping things simple, getting his team to do what it knows best - instead of trying to become something else. One of his first moves as captain was to get rid of blazers and ties from India's off-field uniform.
• For a man committed to simplicity, there is a bit of grandstanding here. Dhoni's counter is that his hotel suite - the captain gets a suite - is always open. You don't even need to knock: if the morning newspaper is outside, it means Dhoni hasn't woken up yet; if you don't see the newspaper, it is an open house.
• Dhoni was known for his cricket and was very popular for his lengthy wavy hairstyle. It had then become a trend that every boy in the country now wanted to adorn the “Dhoni Hairstyle”.

What we can learn from MSD :

1. A cricketer with a mass appeal

More than the performance, Dhoni connected with the 1.3 billion Indians like no cricketer ever did. He was able to connect with the aspirations of every Indian- irrespective of whether he/she was rich or poor, living in urban or rural India, upmarket or rustic. His simplicity resonated with all. His dare-to-dream syndrome fuelled the aspirations of an entire generation. An unconventional leader. He has created a leadership playbook.

2. Craft a grand vision

A leader needs to craft a grand vision and help the team achieve this. Dhoni’s leadership is a classic example of this. He took over the reins of Captaincy when there was a lot to be achieved. He built the team with the unimaginable in mind. India had won the World Cup only once in 1983 and hence, when the young Indian team started its journey in the World Cup T20 2007, the expectations were not high. However, the team went on to win the World Cup at Wanderers, in what was a last-over clincher. With this win, Dhoni raised the hopes and aspirations of every Indian, who wanted to settle for nothing less than a top slot for the Men in Blue in all formats of the game and also took his franchise CSK to great heights.

3. Get your hands dirty

In cricket, it is the performance that matters the most. Consistency is the key, irrespective of how big a star a cricketer may be. Dhoni has one of the best strategic minds in the game. Having said that, he always focused on his performance and constantly tried to better himself, both in the batting as well as the wicket-keeping departments. Leaders need to excel in some disciplines and not act as a non-playing captains.

4. Lead from the front

It is about leading from the front and delivering when it matters the most. One can never forget the numerous matches Dhoni has won for India. In the most difficult situations, he has stepped in and finished the game in favour of India. The ‘best finisher of the game’, Dhoni has always led his team from the front and excelled in multiple roles he played. A leader should learn the art of ownership from Dhoni. As a leader, one needs to be in command. There will be difficult situations, but a leader should not be seen as someone who is hanging around.

5. Share credit with the team

MS Dhoni has been a firm believer in sharing the credit for all the wins with his team. He has been pretty vocal about praising his team and attributing success to a team effort. Handing over the winning trophy to the youngest player in the team is the ritual he followers.

6. Keep your cool

Dhoni is popularly known as ‘Captain Cool’. The reason for this is that he always remained his calm and cool self, no matter how big the crisis is. He kept his smile on and never showed his emotions, even if the team was having a bad day at the office. Even in close matches, he never showed any major aggression or excitement. He kept the opponents guessing on his next move.

7. Be grounded

MS Dhoni says ‘Never let success get to your head and never let failure get to your heart’. A grounded person, MS Dhoni would never have an air of arrogance around him because he has been the most successful captain of the country. He has always been simple in his expectations and grounded in his conduct. Numerous young players have shared how he is approachable and willing to help. Even for his fans, he is humble and approachable.

Leaders should follow this mantra and stay grounded in the good as well as the bad times. They should not let arrogance or disappointment rule them. Instead, they should focus on their next challenge, or work on a strategy to bounce back.

8. Promote merit

Dhoni has always been a leader who focused on putting his best foot forward. He built a team for the future. He promoted merit and not favouritism. He wanted to allow the best talent.

9. Keep Acquiring new skills be it tangential.

Went on to acquire the new skill of driving a Tractor. In a few months returns to IPL, wins the trophy and inspires billions. This is unbelievable.

**Happy Birthday, Dhoni.