MSD – The Real Rajnikanth
I think drawing parallels between Sports and Business is a cliché that too many Business Columnists indulge in. I promised myself never to do the same. But, I have a deadline to submit this column and the only thing on my mind right now is, Cricket.
India Won the World Cup last night. The Men in Blue really gave a billion cricket crazy Indians tremendous joy. Although the whole tournament has been a testimony of the power of team work, the one man who stands out and has really made India the best team in the World is Mahendra Singh Dhoni [MSD]. No doubt about that.
MSD is in a way, destiny’s child. He has had his share of luck. But winning the T20 World Cup, the No.1 Spot in Test Cricket, the IPL, The Champions Cup and now the World Cup is not a play of good fortune. It is because he is the best leader the Indian cricket team has ever had.
Can an excellent Captain make a terrible set of players into World Champions? Probably not. I can’t picture MSD leading Kenya to World Cup glory. But a captain can definitely take a bunch of talented players and make them World Leaders. That is the power of Good Leadership. And that’s exactly what MSD has done time and again.
Although a short column can’t do Justice to the learning’s from MSD, let’s attempt to look at a few key areas where he really stands out.
Keeping his Cool
Many a TV Expert would suggest that it’s important for players to keep their cool during the big matches. But that is easier said than done. While watching the Cricket Match on TV, I have a hard time keeping my cool. But yet somehow Dhoni manages to do that. Somehow manages to keep the pressure of a Billion people aside and play his natural game. All of us are going to see ups and downs in our professional life. The key is to keep our cool. Remember that no one incident in Business is going to destroy you for life. It’s what you do every day that matters.
Don’t meddle too much with the way people work
As managers, we sometimes have the tendency of meddling a little too much in the way people operate. Give too much unsolicited advice to our subordinates. Poke our nose into everything they do. Its good intentioned – but a leader needs to know where to draw the line. Each person has his/her own way of working. Concentrate on the objective to be achieved. Make people accountable to that. And let them be. Intervene in their methods only when really required.
Show Faith in people
This aspect in Business is really misunderstood. A lot of companies in the great desire to grow at a rapid pace don’t really concentrate on the hiring process. They hire purely on qualifications without considering any other aspects. Hire with great care, but once you do hire, show faith in the people that you hire. Sometimes your people will have great days. Sometimes they will have forgettable ones. But it’s important to remember that if you have selected your players – you need to show faith in them through good times and bad.
Do what you believe is right
Half the country will think that you should bat first. The other half will say you should bowl first. It’s impossible for the captain to predict for sure what the right decision is. But you can’t take decisions based on what everyone else thinks. A leader must take decisions based on what he, with the knowledge he possesses of that situation, believes is the best decision.
Be Bold
Not Sunny Deol style, ripping–out–pumps–from–the–ground bold. But bold enough not to live in the fear of failure.
Some people like MSD are born leaders. They somehow already know these things about leadership. But the truth is leadership can be learnt too [not taught] if professionals decide to. MSD with this World Cup has already provided us professionals the inspiration to do the same.